Constructing Ebola transmission chains from West Africa and estimating model parameters using internet sources

Area of Science:

• Epidemiology
• Public Health
• Data Science

Background:

• Online news media reported individual details during the West Africa Ebola crisis.
• Timely data on disease onset, transmission, and outcomes are crucial for public health decision-making.

Purpose of the Study:

• To document Ebola virus disease transmission chains using indigenous online sources.
• To generate data for surveillance, mathematical modeling, and public health interventions.
• To develop a protocol for responsibly collecting epidemiological information from affected communities.

Main Methods:

• Accessed publicly available online news media, including local newspapers and blogs.
• Constructed Ebola virus disease transmission chains for two West African clusters.
• Derived parameters for an Ebola disease transmission mathematical model.

Main Results:

• A transmission chain was created that favorably compared with published chains.
• Derived mathematical model parameters were not statistically different from published sources.
• The method provided practical insights into the affected community's infrastructure, politics, and culture.

Conclusions:

• Utilizing indigenous online sources is a viable method for generating timely epidemiological data.
• This approach supports public health surveillance, mathematical modeling, and decision-making.
• The method offers additional benefits, including cultural and contextual understanding of affected populations.