Delivery of an Ebola virus-positive stillborn infant in a rural community health center, Sierra Leone, 2015

Hilary Bower; Julian E Grass; Emily Veltus; Aaron Brault; Shelley Campbell; Alison Jane Basile; David Wang; Christopher D Paddock; Bobbie R Erickson; Johanna S Salzer; Jessica Belser; Eunice Chege; Dean Seneca; Gbessay Saffa; Ute Stroeher; Tom Decroo; Grazia M Caleo

doi:10.4269/ajtmh.15-0619

Delivery of an Ebola virus-positive stillborn infant in a rural community health center, Sierra Leone, 2015

Hilary Bower, Julian E Grass, Emily Veltus, Aaron Brault, Shelley Campbell, Alison Jane Basile, David Wang, Christopher D Paddock, Bobbie R Erickson, Johanna S Salzer, Jessica Belser, Eunice Chege, Dean Seneca, Gbessay Saffa, Ute Stroeher, Tom Decroo, Grazia M Caleo

Research output: Contribution to journal › A1: Web of Science-article › peer-review

Abstract

We report the case of an Ebola virus (EBOV) RNA-negative pregnant woman who delivered an EBOV RNA-positive stillborn infant at a community health center in rural Sierra Leone, 1 month after the mother's last possible exposure. The mother was later found to be immunoglobulins M and G positive indicating previous infection. The apparent absence of Ebola symptoms and not recognizing that the woman had previous contact with an Ebola patient led health workers performing the delivery to wear only minimal personal protection, potentially exposing them to a high risk of EBOV infection. This case emphasizes the importance of screening for epidemiological risk factors as well as classic and atypical symptoms of Ebola when caring for pregnant women, even once they have passed the typical time frame for exposure and incubation expected in nonpregnant adults. It also illustrates the need for health-care workers to use appropriate personal protection equipment when caring for pregnant women in an Ebola setting.

Original language	English
Journal	American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
Volume	94
Issue number	2
Pages (from-to)	417-419
Number of pages	3
ISSN	0002-9637
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.4269/ajtmh.15-0619
Publication status	Published - 2016
Externally published	Yes

Keywords

Community Health Workers
Ebolavirus/isolation & purification
Female
Hemorrhagic Fever, Ebola/epidemiology
Humans
Midwifery
Pregnancy
Pregnancy Complications, Infectious/pathology
RNA, Viral/isolation & purification
Rural Health Services
Sierra Leone/epidemiology
Stillbirth
Viral Load
Young Adult

Access to Document

10.4269/ajtmh.15-0619

Cite this

Bower, H., Grass, J. E., Veltus, E., Brault, A., Campbell, S., Basile, A. J., Wang, D., Paddock, C. D., Erickson, B. R., Salzer, J. S., Belser, J., Chege, E., Seneca, D., Saffa, G., Stroeher, U., Decroo, T., & Caleo, G. M. (2016). Delivery of an Ebola virus-positive stillborn infant in a rural community health center, Sierra Leone, 2015. American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, 94(2), 417-419. https://doi.org/10.4269/ajtmh.15-0619

@article{d03b0415a2c14f7083f809a9b409f1cc,

title = "Delivery of an Ebola virus-positive stillborn infant in a rural community health center, Sierra Leone, 2015",

abstract = "We report the case of an Ebola virus (EBOV) RNA-negative pregnant woman who delivered an EBOV RNA-positive stillborn infant at a community health center in rural Sierra Leone, 1 month after the mother's last possible exposure. The mother was later found to be immunoglobulins M and G positive indicating previous infection. The apparent absence of Ebola symptoms and not recognizing that the woman had previous contact with an Ebola patient led health workers performing the delivery to wear only minimal personal protection, potentially exposing them to a high risk of EBOV infection. This case emphasizes the importance of screening for epidemiological risk factors as well as classic and atypical symptoms of Ebola when caring for pregnant women, even once they have passed the typical time frame for exposure and incubation expected in nonpregnant adults. It also illustrates the need for health-care workers to use appropriate personal protection equipment when caring for pregnant women in an Ebola setting. ",

keywords = "Community Health Workers, Ebolavirus/isolation & purification, Female, Hemorrhagic Fever, Ebola/epidemiology, Humans, Midwifery, Pregnancy, Pregnancy Complications, Infectious/pathology, RNA, Viral/isolation & purification, Rural Health Services, Sierra Leone/epidemiology, Stillbirth, Viral Load, Young Adult",

author = "Hilary Bower and Grass, {Julian E} and Emily Veltus and Aaron Brault and Shelley Campbell and Basile, {Alison Jane} and David Wang and Paddock, {Christopher D} and Erickson, {Bobbie R} and Salzer, {Johanna S} and Jessica Belser and Eunice Chege and Dean Seneca and Gbessay Saffa and Ute Stroeher and Tom Decroo and Caleo, {Grazia M}",

note = "{\textcopyright} The American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene.",

year = "2016",

doi = "10.4269/ajtmh.15-0619",

language = "English",

volume = "94",

pages = "417--419",

journal = "American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene",

issn = "0002-9637",

publisher = "American Society for Tropical Medicine & Hygiene",

number = "2",

}

Bower, H, Grass, JE, Veltus, E, Brault, A, Campbell, S, Basile, AJ, Wang, D, Paddock, CD, Erickson, BR, Salzer, JS, Belser, J, Chege, E, Seneca, D, Saffa, G, Stroeher, U, Decroo, T & Caleo, GM 2016, 'Delivery of an Ebola virus-positive stillborn infant in a rural community health center, Sierra Leone, 2015', American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, vol. 94, no. 2, pp. 417-419. https://doi.org/10.4269/ajtmh.15-0619

TY - JOUR

T1 - Delivery of an Ebola virus-positive stillborn infant in a rural community health center, Sierra Leone, 2015

AU - Bower, Hilary

AU - Grass, Julian E

AU - Veltus, Emily

AU - Brault, Aaron

AU - Campbell, Shelley

AU - Basile, Alison Jane

AU - Wang, David

AU - Paddock, Christopher D

AU - Erickson, Bobbie R

AU - Salzer, Johanna S

AU - Belser, Jessica

AU - Chege, Eunice

AU - Seneca, Dean

AU - Saffa, Gbessay

AU - Stroeher, Ute

AU - Decroo, Tom

AU - Caleo, Grazia M

N1 - © The American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene.

PY - 2016

Y1 - 2016

N2 - We report the case of an Ebola virus (EBOV) RNA-negative pregnant woman who delivered an EBOV RNA-positive stillborn infant at a community health center in rural Sierra Leone, 1 month after the mother's last possible exposure. The mother was later found to be immunoglobulins M and G positive indicating previous infection. The apparent absence of Ebola symptoms and not recognizing that the woman had previous contact with an Ebola patient led health workers performing the delivery to wear only minimal personal protection, potentially exposing them to a high risk of EBOV infection. This case emphasizes the importance of screening for epidemiological risk factors as well as classic and atypical symptoms of Ebola when caring for pregnant women, even once they have passed the typical time frame for exposure and incubation expected in nonpregnant adults. It also illustrates the need for health-care workers to use appropriate personal protection equipment when caring for pregnant women in an Ebola setting.

AB - We report the case of an Ebola virus (EBOV) RNA-negative pregnant woman who delivered an EBOV RNA-positive stillborn infant at a community health center in rural Sierra Leone, 1 month after the mother's last possible exposure. The mother was later found to be immunoglobulins M and G positive indicating previous infection. The apparent absence of Ebola symptoms and not recognizing that the woman had previous contact with an Ebola patient led health workers performing the delivery to wear only minimal personal protection, potentially exposing them to a high risk of EBOV infection. This case emphasizes the importance of screening for epidemiological risk factors as well as classic and atypical symptoms of Ebola when caring for pregnant women, even once they have passed the typical time frame for exposure and incubation expected in nonpregnant adults. It also illustrates the need for health-care workers to use appropriate personal protection equipment when caring for pregnant women in an Ebola setting.

KW - Community Health Workers

KW - Ebolavirus/isolation & purification

KW - Female

KW - Hemorrhagic Fever, Ebola/epidemiology

KW - Humans

KW - Midwifery

KW - Pregnancy

KW - Pregnancy Complications, Infectious/pathology

KW - RNA, Viral/isolation & purification

KW - Rural Health Services

KW - Sierra Leone/epidemiology

KW - Stillbirth

KW - Viral Load

KW - Young Adult

U2 - 10.4269/ajtmh.15-0619

DO - 10.4269/ajtmh.15-0619

M3 - A1: Web of Science-article

C2 - 26556830

SN - 0002-9637

VL - 94

SP - 417

EP - 419

JO - American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene

JF - American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene

IS - 2

ER -

Delivery of an Ebola virus-positive stillborn infant in a rural community health center, Sierra Leone, 2015

Abstract

Keywords

Access to Document

Fingerprint

Cite this