Ebola Outbreak 2014

The Liberian government is lifting its state of emergency after signs it's bringing the Ebola outbreak under control. But President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf says the fight against the virus is not over.

A new study examining a previous outbreak of Ebola in Uganda offers the first clues as to why children appear to be better than adults at fighting off the Ebola virus.

Earlier research from the Uganda outbreak, which took place from 2000-2001, and a more recent study from the current outbreak analyzing data from a Sierra Leone hospital, have both suggested that children are more likely to survive the virus than adults. Now, a study recently published in the medical journal Emerging Infectious Diseases is exploring why that might be the case.

United Nations peacekeepers from the Philippines are about to pull out from Liberia because of the Ebola outbreak. Liberia is the worst-hit country with more than 6,500 cases, about half the current total of 13,000 across the worst affected part of West Africa. The peacekeepers are unlikely to be replaced, leaving the country's security vulnerable.

...Fighting Ebola, they say, will require many of the same tools needed to fight AIDS, an epidemic that fundamentally transformed the way the world looks at diseases -- not just through the microscope of science, but through the wider lens of society and development....

United Nations - A new WHO protocol for safe and dignified burial of people who die from Ebola virus disease emphasizes inclusion of family members and encouraging religious rites as an essential part of safe burials.

Ebola infections occur during burials when family and community members perform religious rites that require directly touching or washing the body, which still contains high levels of Ebola virus; and when family members distribute personal property of the loved one, which may be infected with the virus.

Developed by an interdisciplinary team at WHO, in partnership with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) and faith-based organizations including World Council of Churches, Islamic Relief, Caritas International and World Vision, this updated protocol outlines step-by-step processes for safe and dignified burials. The protocol encourages inclusion of family and local clergy in the planning and preparation of the burial, as well as at the burial event itself, giving specific instructions for Muslim and Christian burials.

A team of medical anthropologists also contributed meaningful, safe alternatives for touching and bathing dead bodies, developed from research into the cultural significance and values of burial practices in affected countries. The research included consultations with religious leaders in affected countries to define what is meant by "dignified burial" in both the Muslim and Christian context.

The protocol also includes ways for Ebola burial teams to carry out their work safely while respecting family sensitivities. These include abstaining from wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) when first meeting with the family, and asking the family if there are specific requests for managing the burial and personal effects of the deceased. As the protocol is applied in affected countries, feedback from religious leaders, communities and people managing burials will be used to update and improve the protocol.

Since the Ebola outbreak in West Africa was officially declared on 22 March in Guinea, it has claimed 4,959 lives in the region. The outbreak is the largest ever, and is currently affecting four countries in West Africa: Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Mali. One person in the United States of America (USA) is currently being treated for Ebola, and one has died. One person in Spain and two people in the USA have recovered. Outbreaks in Nigeria and Senegal have been declared over.

Medical charity Medecins Sans Frontieres says Mali likely has limited its Ebola outbreak to just one case. Dozens of people are still under quarantine after a young girl brought the virus in...