Cross-continental burden of Ebola hemorrhagic fever: A meta-analytical comparison, prevalence, mortality, and risk factors

Maram Alsuhaibani (), Yassir A. Almofti (), Mohammed Al-Rasheed (), Alaa Azhari () and Mahmoud Kandeel ()

International Journal of Innovative Research and Scientific Studies, 2025, vol. 8, issue 4, 364-372

Abstract: Ebola hemorrhagic fever has increasingly spread beyond its traditional epicenters in Africa to other parts of the world, bearing significant implications for various health and non-health populations. This study examines Ebola's prevalence and burden in Africa, Europe, and North America, as well as the risk factors associated with it. A systematic review and meta-analysis were performed following PRISMA guidelines. Literature was searched through PubMed, Google Scholar, and the Cochrane Library, supplemented by manual searches and grey literature from authoritative health organizations. Meta-analysis was conducted using RevMan with a fixed-effects model and 95% confidence intervals (CI). There were 17 outbreaks covered in the included studies. There were 34,527 cases, 17,116 deaths, and an overall case fatality rate (CFR) of 49.57%. Regionally, Africa accounted for 99.96% of the cases and 99.98% of the reported deaths. The meta-analysis showed that the difference in the odds of infected healthcare workers dying from Ebola relative to non-healthcare patients was insignificant [OR=0.66, 95% CI, 0.39-1.12, I2=75%, p=0.12]. There was also no significant difference between the CFR of male and female patients infected by the virus, despite men being at a slightly higher risk of mortality from the infection compared to women [OR=0.88, 95% CI, 0.48-1.62, I2=0%, p=0.69]. This study showed that Africa continues to have the highest number of Ebola cases and deaths while retaining a high CFR. While there is no statistical difference in the odds of death among the non-health population, healthcare workers bear a higher burden of the outbreaks as they have higher odds of dying compared to non-healthcare populations. There is no significant difference in the CFR of male and female patients despite men being more likely to develop infections.

Keywords: Ebola; Filoviridae; Hemorrhagic Fever; Mortality; Virus. (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:aac:ijirss:v:8:y:2025:i:4:p:364-372:id:7788

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