scholarly journals Rapid establishment of a frontline field laboratory in response to an imported outbreak of Ebola virus disease in western Uganda, June 2019

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 (12) ◽  
pp. e0009967
Author(s):  
Amy J. Schuh ◽  
Jackson Kyondo ◽  
James Graziano ◽  
Stephen Balinandi ◽  
Markus H. Kainulainen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
General Hospital ◽  
Ebola Virus ◽  
Virus Disease ◽  
Hemorrhagic Fever ◽  
The United States ◽  
Ebola Virus Disease ◽  
World Health ◽  
Treatment Unit ◽  
Field Laboratory

The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) declared an Ebola virus disease (EVD) outbreak in North Kivu in August 2018. By June 2019, the outbreak had spread to 26 health zones in northeastern DRC, causing >2,000 reported cases and >1,000 deaths. On June 10, 2019, three members of a Congolese family with EVD-like symptoms traveled to western Uganda’s Kasese District to seek medical care. Shortly thereafter, the Viral Hemorrhagic Fever Surveillance and Laboratory Program (VHF program) at the Uganda Virus Research Institute (UVRI) confirmed that all three patients had EVD. The Ugandan Ministry of Health declared an outbreak of EVD in Uganda’s Kasese District, notified the World Health Organization, and initiated a rapid response to contain the outbreak. As part of this response, UVRI and the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, with the support of Uganda’s Public Health Emergency Operations Center, the Kasese District Health Team, the Superintendent of Bwera General Hospital, the United States Department of Defense’s Makerere University Walter Reed Project, and the United States Mission to Kampala’s Global Health Security Technical Working Group, jointly established an Ebola Field Laboratory in Kasese District at Bwera General Hospital, proximal to an Ebola Treatment Unit (ETU). The laboratory consisted of a rapid containment kit for viral inactivation of patient specimens and a GeneXpert Instrument for performing Xpert Ebola assays. Laboratory staff tested 76 specimens from alert and suspect cases of EVD; the majority were admitted to the ETU (89.3%) and reported recent travel to the DRC (58.9%). Although no EVD cases were detected by the field laboratory, it played an important role in patient management and epidemiological surveillance by providing diagnostic results in <3 hours. The integration of the field laboratory into Uganda’s National VHF Program also enabled patient specimens to be referred to Entebbe for confirmatory EBOV testing and testing for other hemorrhagic fever viruses that circulate in Uganda.

scholarly journals Ebola Virus: a Clear and Present Danger

2014 ◽  
Vol 53 (1) ◽  
pp. 4-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eileen M. Burd
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Ebola Virus ◽  
Virus Disease ◽  
The United States ◽  
Ebola Virus Disease ◽  
Burial Practices ◽  
Western Africa ◽  
Medical Facilities ◽  
Risk Patients ◽  
Clear And Present Danger

An epidemic of Ebola virus disease is occurring in Western Africa on a scale not seen before, particularly in the countries of Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone. The continued spread is facilitated by insufficient medical facilities, poor sanitation, travel, and unsafe burial practices. Several patients diagnosed with Ebola virus disease in Africa have been evacuated to the United States for treatment, and several other patients have been diagnosed in the United States. It is important for laboratories to be aware of available tests, especially those granted emergency use authorization, as hospitals prepare protocols for the diagnosis and management of high-risk patients.

scholarly journals Infectious Disease Physician Assessment of Hospital Preparedness for Ebola Virus Disease

2015 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Philip M. Polgreen ◽  
Scott Santibanez ◽  
Lisa M. Koonin ◽  
Mark E. Rupp ◽  
Susan E. Beekmann ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Infectious Disease ◽  
United States ◽  
Ebola Virus ◽  
Virus Disease ◽  
The United States ◽  
Ebola Virus Disease ◽  
Teaching Hospitals ◽  
Emerging Infections ◽  
First Case ◽  
Hospital Preparedness

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.

scholarly journals The Use of TKM-100802 and Convalescent Plasma in 2 Patients With Ebola Virus Disease in the United States

2015 ◽  
Vol 61 (4) ◽  
pp. 496-502 ◽  
Author(s):  
Colleen S. Kraft ◽  
Angela L. Hewlett ◽  
Scott Koepsell ◽  
Anne M. Winkler ◽  
Christopher J. Kratochvil ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Ebola Virus ◽  
Virus Disease ◽  
The United States ◽  
Ebola Virus Disease

scholarly journals Characteristics and Clinical Management of a Cluster of 3 Patients With Ebola Virus Disease, Including the First Domestically Acquired Cases in the United States

2015 ◽  
Vol 163 (2) ◽  
pp. 81 ◽  
Author(s):  
Allison M. Liddell ◽  
Richard T. Davey ◽  
Aneesh K. Mehta ◽  
Jay B. Varkey ◽  
Colleen S. Kraft ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Clinical Management ◽  
Ebola Virus ◽  
Virus Disease ◽  
The United States ◽  
Ebola Virus Disease

scholarly journals Essential Medications for Patients With Suspected or Confirmed Ebola Virus Disease in Resource-Limited Environments

2017 ◽  
Vol 182 (9-10) ◽  
pp. e2006-e2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
William F. Pierce ◽  
Selena D. Ready ◽  
John Tyson Chapman ◽  
Corrinne Kulick ◽  
Anastasia Shields ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ebola Virus ◽  
Virus Disease ◽  
Ebola Virus Disease ◽  
World Health ◽  
Clinical Environment ◽  
Treatment Unit ◽  
Resource Limited ◽  
Pharmacy Dispensing Data ◽  
Dispensing Data ◽  
The U.S

ABSTRACT Background: In 2014, the U.S. Public Health Service (USPHS) Commissioned Corps deployed to Monrovia, Liberia, to operate a 25-bed Ebola treatment unit (ETU) constructed by the U.S. Military. The ETU was named the Monrovia Medical Unit (MMU) and was constructed from an U.S. Air Force Expeditionary Medical Support (EMEDS) unit with modifications on the basis of consultation from Médecins Sans Frontières, the World Health Organization, and expert panels from the U.S. Department of Defense and Department of Health and Human Services. From November 12, 2014, to April 30, 2015, 42 patients (18 confirmed Ebola virus disease [EVD] and 24 suspected EVD) from nine countries were treated by USPHS providers at the MMU. The medications used in the MMU were primarily procured from the EMEDS 25-bed pharmacy cache. However, specific formulary additions were made for treatment of EVD. Methods: Using the MMU pharmacy dispensing data, we compared and contrasted the medications used in the MMU with recommendations in published EVD treatment guidelines for austere settings. Findings: After comparing and contrasting the MMU pharmacy dispensing data with publications with EVD medication recommendations applicable to resource-limited settings, 101 medications were included in the USPHS Essential Medications for the Management of EVD List (EML) for an austere, isolated clinical environment. Discussion/impact/recommendations: Because Ebola outbreaks often occur in remote areas, proactive planning, improved preparedness, and optimal patient care for EVD are needed, especially in the context of austere environments with a scarcity of resources. We developed the EML to assist in the planning for future Ebola outbreaks in a remote clinical environment and to provide a list of medications that have been used in an ETU. The EML is a comprehensive medication list that builds on the existing publications with EVD treatment recommendations applicable to supply-constrained clinical environments. As well, it is a resource for the provision of medications when evaluating donations, procurement, and may help inform estimates for product inventory requirements for an ETU. We hope the EML will improve readiness and enhance the capabilities of local and regional international responders.

Clinical Care of Two Patients with Ebola Virus Disease in the United States

2014 ◽  
Vol 371 (25) ◽  
pp. 2402-2409 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. Marshall Lyon ◽  
Aneesh K. Mehta ◽  
Jay B. Varkey ◽  
Kent Brantly ◽  
Lance Plyler ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Ebola Virus ◽  
Virus Disease ◽  
Clinical Care ◽  
The United States ◽  
Ebola Virus Disease

scholarly journals Ebola virus disease: What clinicians in the United States need to know

2015 ◽  
Vol 43 (8) ◽  
pp. 788-793 ◽  
Author(s):  
William A. Fischer ◽  
Timothy M. Uyeki ◽  
Robert V. Tauxe
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Ebola Virus ◽  
Virus Disease ◽  
The United States ◽  
Ebola Virus Disease
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