TY - JOUR AU - Spengler, Jessica AU - Ervin, Elizabeth AU - Towner, Jonathan AU - Rollin, Pierre AU - Nichol, Stuart T1 - Perspectives on West Africa Ebola Virus Disease Outbreak, 2013–2016 T2 - Emerging Infectious Disease journal PY - 2016 VL - 22 IS - 6 SP - 956 SN - 1080-6059 AB - The variety of factors that contributed to the initial undetected spread of Ebola virus disease in West Africa during 2013–2016 and the difficulty controlling the outbreak once the etiology was identified highlight priorities for disease prevention, detection, and response. These factors include occurrence in a region recovering from civil instability and lacking experience with Ebola response; inadequate surveillance, recognition of suspected cases, and Ebola diagnosis; mobile populations and extensive urban transmission; and the community’s insufficient general understanding about the disease. The magnitude of the outbreak was not attributable to a substantial change of the virus. Continued efforts during the outbreak and in preparation for future outbreak response should involve identifying the reservoir, improving in-country detection and response capacity, conducting survivor studies and supporting survivors, engaging in culturally appropriate public education and risk communication, building productive interagency relationships, and continuing support for basic research. KW - Ebola KW - Ebola hemorrhagic fever KW - viral hemorrhagic fever KW - Ebola virus disease KW - outbreak KW - emergence KW - epizootic KW - spillover KW - West Africa KW - viruses KW - zoonoses DO - 10.3201/eid2206.160021 UR - https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/22/6/16-0021_article ER - End of Reference