Epidemiology and Epizootiological Investigations of Haemorrhagic Fever Viruses in Kenya.
Abstract
Certain viruses which occur in equatorial Africa cause acute illness associated with high mortality and nosocomical spread and pose a significant public health threat. These include Yellow fever, Marburg disease, Ebola hemorrhagic fever, Congo-Crimean hemorrhagic fever, Rift Valley fever and Lassa fever viruses. Rift Valley Fever and the more rare Congo-Crimean hemorrhagic fever are largely veterinary problems in Kenya. Marburg and Ebola viruses, which constitute the only known members of the proposed family Filoviridae, have never been documented as causing substantial human disease in Kenya but two cases of Marburg disease have been confirmed and findings in the last five years suggest that Ebola virus, or a closely related agent, may be responsible for illness in Kenya. The filoviruses have caused devastating outbreaks with mortality rates of between 25 and 90%, with prolonged convalescence among survivors. Spread within the hospital or laboratory setting has been a feature of every documented outbreak of these viruses except when single cases of Ebola hemorrhagic fever occurred in Zaire in 1977 and Kenya in 1980. The major emphasis of this project was to accurately determine the incidence and distribution of apparent and unapparent infections caused by these viruses and to define epidemiological and ecological factors which influence virus activity in Kenya.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jul 01, 1986
- Accession Number
- ADA181098
Entities
People
- Peter M. Tukei
Organizations
- Kenya Medical Research Institute