The Epidemiology of Ebola Virus Disease, its Control and Prevention in Selected West African Countries: The Nurses’ Role Considered. A systematic Literature Review.

Abstract

Although Ebola Virus Disease’s epidemic has not yet been recorded as a global canker like diseases such as HIV AIDS and cancer, it leaves a high level of threat and concern to the health of humanity in the global world because of its high fatality rate when one is infected with the Ebola Virus due to its nature and modes of epidemiology. This study explored the nature of the epidemiology of the Ebola Virus Disease and its available prevention and control measures in some chosen West African nations taking into consideration the various roles played by nurses in preventing and controlling the outbreak of the disease.

In this study, a systematic review of seven scientific articles was done using a qualitative content analysis method and a deductive content analysis approach. In this method, ‘‘Ebola Virus Disease Control and Prevention’’ and ‘‘Nurses role in Ebola Virus Disease Control and Prevention’’ were formed as main categories with five sub-categories explaining the concept of this study. Findings of this study show that Ebola Virus and its disease spreads through practices like touching infected people, and items that are contaminated with bodily fluids of those with the Ebola Virus Disease, eating infected animals, traditional funeral celebration and post-mortem contacts. Maintaining a hygienic environment, educating people on Ebola disease and its modes of epidemics, creation of Ebola Virus Disease isolation wards, provision of infection control resources, restrictions and travel ban on those infected, safe burials of those dead through Ebola Virus infection are among the various methods used to prevent and control the epidemics of the Ebola disease.