Implementation and management of contact tracing for Ebola virus disease

Overview

The scale, duration, and complexity of the Ebola virus disease (EVD) outbreak in West Africa have underscored the need for prompt and effective preparation for and implementation of containment measures. A person with EVD can spread the disease to others as soon as he or she begins to have symptoms; therefore, it is crucially important to identify and isolate symptomatic persons immediately to stop the disease from spreading. Contact tracing is one of the critical tools available to effectively break chains of transmission and control EVD outbreaks.