01 Dec Rash and Blisters May Accompany Ebola Infection

MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Victoria Vaughan
Medical College of Georgia, Augusta, Georgia

Medical Research: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?

Response: The Global Mortality of Skin Disease study compares age adjusted mortality of disease with skin manifestations between developing and developed countries for the years 1990 and 2010. The main findings were that mortality from infectious conditions was greater in the developing world while melanoma contributed to mortality in the developed world. Ebola Virus Disease has cutaneous manifestations and affects the developing world preferentially. As of November 27, 2014, the mortality in West Africa totals 5444 according to the CDC. However, the United States has had only two deaths from Ebola Virus Disease.

Medical Research: What should clinicians and patients take away from your report?

Response: A nonpruritic morbilliform eruption may occur between days 2 to 7 of the symptom onset of Ebola Virus Disease. The patient’s body becomes enveloped in erythematous papules and petechiae which progress to hemorrhagic bullae and ecchymoses.¹

Medical Research: What recommendations do you have for future research as a result of this study?

Response: The authors recommend greater documentation of the clinical sequelae of Ebola Virus Disease to enable teaching and promote swift recognition of the illness both during this outbreak and in the event of a future outbreak. The Global Burden of Disease database studies focus on diseases with higher mortality rates in order to distribute resources to the greatest area of need. However, Ebola Virus Disease highlights the importance of disease surveillance even while the disease burden is low in order to prevent outbreaks and save resources at a later time.

1. Nkoghe D, Leroy EM, Toung-Mve M, Gonzalez JP. Cutaneous manifestations of filovirus infections. Int J Dermatol. 2012;51: 1037-1043.

Citation:

Effect of recent Ebola outbreaks on estimating the global burden of diseases with skin manifestations

Authors: Victoria Vaughan BA¹, Chante Karimkhani BA², Lindsay Boyers BA³, Robert Dellavalle MD, PhD, MSPH⁴

¹ Medical College of Georgia, Augusta, Geogia ² Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, USA ³ Georgetown University School of Medicine, Washington D.C., USA ⁴ Department of Dermatology, Denver Veterans Administration Hospital, Colorado, USA

JAAD November 19, 2014 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jaad.2014.10.037

Last Updated on December 1, 2014 by Marie Benz MD FAAD