International Journal of Infectious Diseases (Feb 2022)
Ebola virus disease nosocomial infections in the Democratic Republic of the Congo: a descriptive study of cases during the 2018–2020 outbreak
- April Baller,
- Maria Clara Padoveze,
- Patrick Mirindi,
- Carmen Emily Hazim,
- Jonathan Lotemo,
- Jerome Pfaffmann,
- Aminata Ndiaye,
- Simone Carter,
- Marie-Amelie Degail Chabrat,
- Samuel Mangala,
- Berthe Banzua,
- Chantal Umutoni,
- N'Deye Rosalie Niang,
- Landry Kabego,
- Abdoulaye Ouedraogo,
- Bienvenue Houdjo,
- Didier Mwesha,
- Kevin Babila Ousman,
- Amy Kolwaite,
- David D. Blaney,
- Mary J. Choi,
- Raymond Pallawo,
- Anais Legand,
- Benjamin Park,
- Pierre Formenty,
- Joel M. Montgomery,
- Abdou Salam Gueye,
- Benedetta Allegranzi,
- N'da Kona Michel Yao,
- Ibrahima Soce Fall
Affiliations
- April Baller
- World Health Organization; Corresponding author. Infection Prevention and Control, Country Readiness Strengthening, WHO Health Emergencies Programme, 20 Av. Appia, CH-1211 Geneva 27, Switzerland.
- Maria Clara Padoveze
- World Health Organization
- Patrick Mirindi
- World Health Organization
- Carmen Emily Hazim
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Jonathan Lotemo
- Ministry of Health, Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Jerome Pfaffmann
- United Nations Children's Fund, New York, NY, USA
- Aminata Ndiaye
- World Health Organization
- Simone Carter
- United Nations Children's Fund, New York, NY, USA
- Marie-Amelie Degail Chabrat
- World Health Organization
- Samuel Mangala
- Ministry of Health, Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Berthe Banzua
- Ministry of Health, Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Chantal Umutoni
- United Nations Children's Fund, New York, NY, USA
- N'Deye Rosalie Niang
- PAE/Macfadden
- Landry Kabego
- World Health Organization
- Abdoulaye Ouedraogo
- World Health Organization
- Bienvenue Houdjo
- World Health Organization
- Didier Mwesha
- World Health Organization
- Kevin Babila Ousman
- World Health Organization
- Amy Kolwaite
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA
- David D. Blaney
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Mary J. Choi
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Raymond Pallawo
- World Health Organization
- Anais Legand
- World Health Organization
- Benjamin Park
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Pierre Formenty
- World Health Organization
- Joel M. Montgomery
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Abdou Salam Gueye
- World Health Organization
- Benedetta Allegranzi
- World Health Organization
- N'da Kona Michel Yao
- World Health Organization
- Ibrahima Soce Fall
- World Health Organization
- Journal volume & issue
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Vol. 115
pp. 126 – 133
Abstract
ABSTRACT: Objectives: To describe the characteristics of nosocomial cases of Ebola virus disease (EVD) in the Democratic Republic of the Congo between July 2018 and May 2020 in order to inform future interventions. Methods: Nosocomial cases of EVD were identified during outbreak response surveillance, and a retrospective analysis of cases was conducted according to demographic characteristics and type of health facility (HF). Results: Of 3481 cases of EVD, 579 (16.6%) were nosocomial. Of these, 332 cases occurred in women (57.3%). Patients and visitors accounted for 419 cases (72.4%), of which 79 (18.9%) were aged 6–≤18 years and 108 (25.8%) were aged ≤5 years. Health workers (HWs) accounted for the remaining 160 (27.6%) nosocomial cases. The case fatality rate (CFR) for HWs (66/160, 41.3%) was significantly lower than the CFR for patients and visitors (292/419, 69.7%) (P39 beds) had the highest prevalence of nosocomial EVD (148/579, 25.6%). Among HFs with at least one case of nosocomial infection, 50.0% (98/196) were privately owned. Conclusions: Nurses and traditional healers should be targeted for infection prevention and control training, and supportive supervision should be provided to HFs to mitigate EVD transmission.