Question

21. What is contract tracing? Why couldn't it be used when the epidemic spread to Conakry? cantaoious is Ebola virus compared to other

Answer 1

There is a spelling mistake in the question. To the best of my knowledge, It must be contact tracing but not contract tracing.

As per WHO guidlines, contact tracing is defined as identification and follow up of indviduals who may have come into contact with infected individuals. It is the primary measure of controlling infectious diseases such as Tuberculosis, HIV infection, and other sexually transmitted diseases etc...

Contact tracing is a form of surveillance which is one of the most important pillars in communicable disease control and prevention. During epidemic spread of EBola Virus diseas)(EVD_ to Conakry.

In contact Tracing, Contact tracers  identify the contacts andfollow them up daily in their households for 21 days by asking them about symptoms in case of EVD.

During the EVD outbreak in Conakry of Guniea of West Africa, contact tracing posed serious challenges, in part as a result of the wide geographical expanse of the EVD outbreak, insufficient resources (human, financial and logistical), and to some extent, limited access to affected communities.The issue of stigma and discrimination also hampered good contact tracing. Some community did not agree with the offer of having contact tracers with them.Some community members were identified to have thrown stones at health workers participating in investigating the outbreak.

These are few reasons which hindered the contact tracing of EVD outbreak in Conakry.