Abstract
BackgroundThe 2014–2016 Ebola virus epidemic in West Africa was the largest outbreak of Ebola virus disease (EVD) in history. Clarifying the influence of other prevalent diseases such as human immunodeficiency virus infection and acquired immune deficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) will help improve treatment and supportive care of patients with EVD.Case presentationWe examined HIV and hepatitis C virus (HCV) antibody prevalence among suspected EVD cases from the Sierra Leone-China Friendship Biological Safety Laboratory during the epidemic in Sierra Leone. HIV and HCV antibodies were tested in 678 EVD-negative samples by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. A high HIV prevalence (17.6%) and low HCV prevalence (0.22%) were observed among the suspected cases. Notably, we found decreased HIV positive rates among the suspected cases over the course of the epidemic. This suggests a potentially beneficial effect of an improved public health system after assistance from the World Health Organization and other international aid organizations.ConclusionsThis EVD epidemic had a considerable impact on the public health system and influenced the prevalence of HIV found among suspected cases in Sierra Leone, but also provided an opportunity to establish a better surveillance network for infectious diseases.
Highlights
The 2014–2016 Ebola virus epidemic in West Africa was the largest outbreak of Ebola virus disease (EVD) in history
This EVD epidemic had a considerable impact on the public health system and influenced the prevalence of HIV found among suspected cases in Sierra Leone, and provided an opportunity to establish a better surveillance network for infectious diseases
The 2014–2016 Ebola virus (EBOV) epidemic in West Africa was the largest outbreak of Ebola virus disease (EVD) in history, causing over 28 616 infections and 11
Summary
The 2014–2016 Ebola virus epidemic in West Africa was the largest outbreak of Ebola virus disease (EVD) in history. Conclusions: This EVD epidemic had a considerable impact on the public health system and influenced the prevalence of HIV found among suspected cases in Sierra Leone, and provided an opportunity to establish a better surveillance network for infectious diseases. Clarifying the influence of other prevalent diseases such as HIV/AIDS will help improve treatment and supportive care of patients with EVD [2].
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