Evidence map›Paper›PMID 36197925›Full record

ArticlePLoS neglected tropical diseases2022

After action review of the response to an outbreak of Lassa fever in Sierra Leone, 2019: Best practices and lessons learnt.

Charles Njuguna, Mohamed Vandi, Evans Liyosi, Jane Githuku, James Sylvester Squire, Ian Njeru, Ian Rufus, Victoria Katawera, Wilson Gachari, Robert Musoke and 7 more

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in PLoS neglected tropical diseases, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
0.7field-weighted citation impact, top 30% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed, 8 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Lassa Fever Natural History and Clinical Management.Current topics in microbiology and immunology · 2023
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

17 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.

Charles NjugunaWorld Health Organization Country office, Freetown, Sierra Leone.ORCID 0000-0002-6130-7597
Mohamed VandiMinistry of Health and Sanitation, Freetown, Sierra Leone.
Evans LiyosiWorld Health Organization Country office, Freetown, Sierra Leone.
Jane GithukuWorld Health Organization Country office, Freetown, Sierra Leone.
James Sylvester SquireMinistry of Health and Sanitation, Freetown, Sierra Leone.
Ian NjeruWorld Health Organization Country office, Freetown, Sierra Leone.
Ian RufusWorld Health Organization Country office, Freetown, Sierra Leone.
Victoria KataweraWorld Health Organization Country office, Freetown, Sierra Leone.
Wilson GachariWorld Health Organization Country office, Freetown, Sierra Leone.
Robert MusokeWorld Health Organization Country office, Freetown, Sierra Leone.
Claudette AmuzuWorld Health Organization Country office, Freetown, Sierra Leone.
Mukeh FahnbullehMinistry of Health and Sanitation, Freetown, Sierra Leone.
Joseph Bunting-GradenMinistry of Health and Sanitation, Freetown, Sierra Leone.
Janet KayitaWorld Health Organization Country office, Freetown, Sierra Leone.
James BunnWorld Health Organization Country office, Freetown, Sierra Leone.
Ambrose TalisunaWorld Health Organization Regional Office for Africa, Brazzaville, Congo.
Zabulon YotiWorld Health Organization Regional Office for Africa, Brazzaville, Congo.
Ministry of Health and Sanitation · SLWorld Health Organization Regional Office for Africa · CG

Funding

World Health Organization 001
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundIn November 2019, an outbreak of Lassa Fever occurred among health workers in a non-endemic district in Sierra Leone. The outbreak resulted in five cases, including two that were exported to the Netherlands. The outbreak tested multiple technical capacities in the International Health Regulations (2005) in a real-life setting. As such, an after action review (AAR) was undertaken as recommended by World Health Organization. We report on the findings of the AAR including best practices and lessons learnt.

methodsA two stage review process was employed. The first stage involved national pillar level reviews for each technical pillar and one review of the district level response. The second stage brought together all pillars, including participants from the national and sub-national level as well as health sector partners. National guidelines were used as references during the deliberations. A standardized template was used to report on the key findings on what happened, what was supposed to happen, what went well and lessons learnt.

resultsThis was a hospital associated outbreak that likely occurred due to a breach in infection prevention and control (IPC) practices resulting in three health workers being infected during a surgical operation. There was a delay in detecting the outbreak on time due to low index of suspicion among clinicians. Once detected, the outbreak response contained the outbreak within one incubation period. Areas that worked well included coordination, contact tracing, active case search and ring IPC. Notable gaps included delays in accessing local emergency funding and late distribution of IPC and laboratory supplies.

conclusionsThe incident management system worked optimally to contain this outbreak. The core technical gaps identified in surveillance, IPC and delay in deployment of resources should be addressed through systemic changes that can mitigate future outbreaks.

Indexed as

Hemorrhagic Fever, EbolaLassa FeverContact TracingDisease OutbreaksHealth PersonnelHumansSierra Leone

Identifiers

PMID36197925
PMCPMC9534430
OpenAlexW4302275111

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.