TY - JOUR AU - Arwady, M. Allison AU - Bawo, Luke AU - Hunter, Jennifer AU - Massaquoi, Moses AU - Matanock, Almea AU - Dahn, Bernice AU - Ayscue, Patrick AU - Nyenswah, Tolbert AU - Forrester, Joseph AU - Hensley, Lisa AU - Monroe, Benjamin AU - Schoepp, Randal AU - Chen, Tai-Ho AU - Schaecher, Kurt AU - George, Thomas AU - Rouse, Edward AU - Schafer, Ilana AU - Pillai, Satish AU - De Cock, Kevin T1 - Evolution of Ebola Virus Disease from Exotic Infection to Global Health Priority, Liberia, Mid-2014 T2 - Emerging Infectious Disease journal PY - 2015 VL - 21 IS - 4 SP - 578 SN - 1080-6059 AB - Over the span of a few weeks during July and August 2014, events in West Africa changed perceptions of Ebola virus disease (EVD) from an exotic tropical disease to a priority for global health security. We describe observations during that time of a field team from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and personnel of the Liberian Ministry of Health and Social Welfare. We outline the early epidemiology of EVD within Liberia, including the practical limitations on surveillance and the effect on the country’s health care system, such as infections among health care workers. During this time, priorities included strengthening EVD surveillance; establishing safe settings for EVD patient care (and considering alternative isolation and care models when Ebola Treatment Units were overwhelmed); improving infection control practices; establishing an incident management system; and working with Liberian airport authorities to implement EVD screening of departing passengers. KW - Liberia KW - West Africa KW - hemorrhagic fever KW - Ebola KW - disease outbreaks KW - epidemiology KW - public health KW - Filoviridae KW - Ebolavirus KW - viruses KW - zoonoses KW - expedited KW - Liberian Ministry of Health and Social Welfare KW - Ebola virus disease DO - 10.3201/eid2104.141940 UR - https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/21/4/14-1940_article ER - End of Reference