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Volume 24, Number 1—January 2018
Research

Sensitivity and Specificity of Suspected Case Definition Used during West Africa Ebola Epidemic

Christopher H. HsuComments to Author , Steven W. Champaloux, Sakoba Keïta, Lise Martel, Pepe Bilivogui, Barbara Knust, and Andrea M. McCollum
Author affiliations: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA (C.H. Hsu, S.W. Champaloux, L. Martel, B. Knust, A.M. McCollum); Prevention and Disease Control, Conakry, Guinea (S. Keïta); Surveillance of National Ebola Coordination Cell, Conakry (P. Bilivogui)

Main Article

Table 1

Characteristics of 2,847 persons used for analysis of suspected case definition during West Africa Ebola epidemic, Guinea, March–October 2014

Characteristic No. (%)
No. persons
2,847 (100.0)
Sex
M 1,396 (49.0)
F 1,408 (49.5)
Missing
43 (1.5)
Age, y
0–<5 166 (5.8)
5–15 259 (9.1)
16–25 474 (16.6)
26–35 625 (21.9)
36–45 517 (18.2)
46–55 295 (10.4)
>55 414 (14.5)
Missing
97 (3.4)
Fever (temperature) recorded
>38.6°C 29 (1.0)
>38°C 34 (1.2)
Missing
2,813 (98.8)
Sign/symptom reported
Fever, tactile or measured at >38°C 1,524 (53.5)
Fatigue 1,400 (49.2)
Diarrhea 963 (33.8)
Vomiting/nausea 1,019 (35.8)
Anorexia 772 (27.1)
Headache 782 (27.5)
Chest pain 44 (1.5)
Abdominal pain 483 (16.9)
Muscle pain 445 (15.6)
Joint pain 331 (11.6)
Difficulty swallowing 32 (1.1)
Difficulty breathing 35 (1.2)
Hiccups 121 (4.3)
Unexplained bleeding
274 (9.6)
Epidemiologic risk factors in past month
Contact with any sick person 282 (9.9)
Contact with infectious bodily fluids from 
known case-patient 36 (1.3)
Physical contact with a case-patient, dead or 
alive 87 (3.1)
Participated in a funeral touching/carrying a 
body 83 (2.9)
Contact with bats or nonhuman primates
2 (0.1)
Laboratory confirmation status
Reverse transcription PCR positive 1,304 (45.8)
Reverse transcription PCR negative 1,233 (43.3)
Unconfirmed/eliminated
310 (10.9)
Final status
Alive 1,012 (35.5)
Dead 1,124 (39.5)
Status missing 711 (24.9)

Main Article

Page created: December 19, 2017
Page updated: December 19, 2017
Page reviewed: December 19, 2017
The conclusions, findings, and opinions expressed by authors contributing to this journal do not necessarily reflect the official position of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Public Health Service, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or the authors' affiliated institutions. Use of trade names is for identification only and does not imply endorsement by any of the groups named above.
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