Emerging Internet of Things (IoT) Technology to Identify and Report Suspected Cases of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD): A Survey of 2014 Ebola outbreak in Nigeria

^*AMADI Gloria Y., OMOTOSHO Olawale J., OKOLIE Michael O., AGBAJE Michael O., and NGOFA Reuben O.

Department of Computer Science, Babcock University, Nigeria.

*Corresponding Author’s Contact Detail: Email address ✉: gloriayaasaro@gmail.com

Accepted June 25, 2020

The application Internet of Things (IoT) technologies that are readily available across many developed countries of the World can drastically improve the rapid response of health practitioners in handling and managing infectious diseases in patients, especially Zoonotic disease like Ebola Virus disease. The management of Ebola Virus disease in real time is a challenge and will be our focus due to the danger it poses in case of an epidemic outbreak as it requires rapid response to checkmate the disease. This paper uses a case study approach in its methodology. It presents an investigative framework for the application of Internet of Things (IoT) Technologies in tackling the Suspected Case of Ebola Virus Disease in Nigeria. The study proposes the use of IoT technology and other smart devices (such as smartphone, body temperature sensor) in sensing and identifying Suspected Case of Ebola Virus, and Reporting of Real time data generated from the Suspected case anytime, anywhere for quick response intervention. The result is to provide better health emergency rapid response and proper management of the virus disease pattern to achieve timely intervention in the control or containment of the outbreak while limiting the spread and risk factor. The general aim of this work is to design a real time detection and/or identification system for Suspected Cases of Ebola Virus Disease. The specific objectives are to: conduct a relative review of frameworks to aid the propose system, design an Ebola Smart Detection System (EDS) to detect and/or identify a Suspected case of Ebola Virus disease. Identify/evaluate whether or not a Contacted (infected) case is symptomatically a suspected case of Ebola Virus disease. And report data in Real-time to the healthcare practitioner/facility and patient’s guardian, while focusing on providing quick response intervention capable of reducing the spread of the Ebola Virus Disease amongst healthcare practitioners and the general public.

Key words: Internet of things, Ebola Virus, Electronic Detection Record System, Ebola Smart Detection System.

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