Understanding the impacts of emerging infectious disease (EID) media exposure: the case of U.S. Ebola virus disease (EVD)

Abstract Background. The first case of Ebola diagnosed in the United States and subsequent cases among 2 healthcare workers caring for that patient highlighted the importance of hospital preparedness in caring for Ebola patients. Methods. From October 21, 2014 to November 11, 2014, infectious disease physicians who are part of the Emerging Infections Network (EIN) were surveyed about current Ebola preparedness at their institutions. Results. Of 1566 EIN physician members, 869 (55.5%) responded to this survey. Almost all institutions represented in this survey showed a substantial degree of preparation for the management of patients with suspected and confirmed Ebola virus disease. Despite concerns regarding shortages of personal protective equipment, approximately two thirds of all respondents reported that their facilities had sufficient and ready availability of hoods, full body coveralls, and fluid-resistant or impermeable aprons. The majority of respondents indicated preference for transfer of Ebola patients to specialized treatment centers rather than caring for them locally. In general, we found that larger hospitals and teaching hospitals reported higher levels of preparedness. Conclusions. Prior to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's plan for a tiered approach that identified specific roles for frontline, assessment, and designated treatment facilities, our query of infectious disease physicians suggested that healthcare facilities across the United States were making preparations for screening, diagnosis, and treatment of Ebola patients. Nevertheless, respondents from some hospitals indicated that they were relatively unprepared.

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Vaccines and Antibodies: Weapons in the Fight Against Ebola Virus

Frontiers for Young Minds ◽

10.3389/frym.2021.593713 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 ◽

Author(s):

Patrice Debré ◽

Marie Neunez ◽

Michel Goldman

Keyword(s):

Infectious Disease ◽

Immune System ◽

Infectious Diseases ◽

Human Body ◽

Ebola Virus ◽

Virus Disease ◽

Ebola Virus Disease ◽

World Today ◽

The World ◽

Stimulation Of

Ebola virus disease is one of the deadliest infections in the world today. The microbe to blame is the Ebola virus. It has already caused numerous outbreaks in Africa, in the regions located south of the Sahara. This article describes the main characteristics of this infectious disease as well as the currently available treatments, namely vaccines and antibodies. Antibodies are produced by the human body when it is infected by a microbe. Antibodies can be collected from the blood of infected humans or animals and purified or manufactured in a laboratory to produce drugs. While vaccines have demonstrated their effectiveness in preventing infectious diseases, antibodies are effective in stopping the progression of several infectious diseases. In this article, you will discover that the stimulation of the immune system, either by the vaccine or by antibodies, is essential to tackle Ebola virus disease.

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Mobilizing the social infrastructure of informal settlements in infectious disease response – The case of Ebola Virus Disease in West Africa

Landscape and Urban Planning ◽

10.1016/j.landurbplan.2021.104256 ◽

2022 ◽

Vol 217 ◽

pp. 104256

Author(s):

S. Harris Ali ◽

Mosoka P. Fallah ◽

Joseph Mustapha McCarthy ◽

Roger Keil ◽

Creighton Connolly

Keyword(s):

Infectious Disease ◽

West Africa ◽

Ebola Virus ◽

Virus Disease ◽

Informal Settlements ◽

Ebola Virus Disease ◽

Social Infrastructure ◽

Disease Response ◽

The Social

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Addressing Disease-Related Stigma During Infectious Disease Outbreaks

Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness ◽

10.1017/dmp.2018.157 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 13 (5-6) ◽

pp. 989-994 ◽

Cited By ~ 14

Author(s):

Leah S. Fischer ◽

Gordon Mansergh ◽

Jonathan Lynch ◽

Scott Santibanez

Keyword(s):

Infectious Disease ◽

Zika Virus ◽

Ebola Virus ◽

Virus Disease ◽

Disease Outbreaks ◽

Ebola Virus Disease ◽

Effective Control ◽

Infectious Disease Outbreaks ◽

Influenza A H1n1 ◽

Related Stigma

ABSTRACTOutbreaks of emerging infectious disease are a constant threat. In the last 10 years, there have been outbreaks of 2009 influenza A (H1N1), Ebola virus disease, and Zika virus. Stigma associated with infectious disease can be a barrier to adopting healthy behaviors, leading to more severe health problems, ongoing disease transmission, and difficulty controlling infectious disease outbreaks. Much has been learned about infectious disease and stigma in the context of nearly 4 decades of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome pandemic. In this paper, we define stigma, discuss its relevance to infectious disease outbreaks, including how individuals and communities can be affected. Adapting lessons learned from the rich literature on HIV-related stigma, we propose a strategy for reducing stigma during infectious disease outbreaks such as Ebola virus disease and Zika virus. The implementation of brief, practical strategies such as the ones proposed here might help reduce stigma and facilitate more effective control of emerging infectious diseases.

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Ebola virus disease: a highly fatal infectious disease reemerging in West Africa

Microbes and Infection ◽

10.1016/j.micinf.2014.11.007 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 17 (2) ◽

pp. 84-97 ◽

Cited By ~ 24

Author(s):

Kelvin K.W. To ◽

Jasper F.W. Chan ◽

Alan K.L. Tsang ◽

Vincent C.C. Cheng ◽

Kwok-Yung Yuen

Keyword(s):

Infectious Disease ◽

West Africa ◽

Ebola Virus ◽

Virus Disease ◽

Ebola Virus Disease

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Ethics of emerging infectious disease outbreak responses: Using Ebola virus disease as a case study of limited resource allocation

PLoS ONE ◽

10.1371/journal.pone.0246320 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 16 (2) ◽

pp. e0246320

Author(s):

Ariadne A. Nichol ◽

Annick Antierens

Keyword(s):

Infectious Disease ◽

Ebola Virus ◽

Virus Disease ◽

Disease Outbreaks ◽

Emerging Infectious Disease ◽

Ethical Framework ◽

Experimental Therapeutics ◽

Ethical Challenges ◽

Outbreak Response ◽

Infectious Disease Outbreaks

Emerging infectious diseases such as Ebola Virus Disease (EVD), Nipah Virus Encephalitis and Lassa fever pose significant epidemic threats. Responses to emerging infectious disease outbreaks frequently occur in resource-constrained regions and under high pressure to quickly contain the outbreak prior to potential spread. As seen in the 2020 EVD outbreaks in the Democratic Republic of Congo and the current COVID-19 pandemic, there is a continued need to evaluate and address the ethical challenges that arise in the high stakes environment of an emerging infectious disease outbreak response. The research presented here provides analysis of the ethical challenges with regard to allocation of limited resources, particularly experimental therapeutics, using the 2013–2016 EVD outbreak in West Africa as a case study. In-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with senior healthcare personnel (n = 16) from international humanitarian aid organizations intimately engaged in the 2013–2016 EVD outbreak response in West Africa. Interviews were recorded in private setting, transcribed, and iteratively coded using grounded theory methodology. A majority of respondents indicated a clear propensity to adopt an ethical framework of guiding principles for international responses to emerging infectious disease outbreaks. Respondents agreed that prioritization of frontline workers’ access to experimental therapeutics was warranted based on a principle of reciprocity. There was widespread acceptance of adaptive trial designs and greater trial transparency in providing access to experimental therapeutics. Many respondents also emphasized the importance of community engagement in limited resource allocation scheme design and culturally appropriate informed consent procedures. The study results inform a potential ethical framework of guiding principles based on the interview participants’ insights to be adopted by international response organizations and their healthcare workers in the face of allocating limited resources such as experimental therapeutics in future emerging infectious disease outbreaks to ease the moral burden of individual healthcare providers.

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