Kerton R. Victory PhD, MScLieutenant, US Public Health Service
Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS) Officer
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health Division of Surveillance, Hazard Evaluations, and Field Studies
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Kerton R. Victory, PhD MSc is an Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS) officer at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). He is currently assigned to the Hazard Evaluations and Technical Assistance Branch (HETAB) at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) in Cincinnati, Ohio. Dr. Victory received his doctoral degree from the University of Arizona in May of 2014 in Environmental Health Sciences. Upon completion of his graduate studies, he started the EIS program in July of last year. Dr. Victory’s work at NIOSH involves evaluating whether workers are exposed to hazardous materials or harmful conditions and making recommendations to improve worker health and safety. During the last year, Dr. Victory has worked extensively on the Ebola response in Guinea and in Dallas, Texas providing technical assistance in epidemiology and surveillance.
As of September 1, 2015, the Ebola outbreak has killed over 11,000 persons in Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone. In Guinea alone, it has affected over 3,600 persons and killed approximately 2,500 persons. One of the major documented challenges for controlling Ebola virus transmission in Guinea and other parts of West Africa is unsafe burial practices. During December 1, 2014–January 10, 2015, an outbreak of 85 confirmed Ebola cases was linked to a single unsafe burial in Kissidougou, Guinea. Local outbreaks like these present challenges associated with controlling the Ebola response in Guinea. Targeted strategies supporting adherence to hygienic burial of infected corpses are needed to prevent further Ebola virus transmission.
