The West African Ebola virus epidemic of 2013a??2016 was the most widespread epidemic of this disease in history; it is estimated that this occurrence contributed to more than 11000 deaths. During the epidemic, healthcare workers (HCW)8 (including laboratorians) were mobilized to care for individuals with suspected or confirmed Ebola virus disease (EVD). However, at the height of the epidemic, guidance on appropriate safety measures for laboratory workers manipulating specimens from EVD patients was sparse. This highlighted the need for data and guidelines for laboratories testing specimens not only for patients with EVD, but for any emerging infectious disease. During the Ebola epidemic, questions were raised about the roles and responsibilities of laboratories in responding to highly infectious diseases, and the burden of ongoing readiness for rare events. As the outbreak decelerates, laboratorians must regroup, gather data, and prepare for future outbreaks. We have asked 4 experts in this field to share their thoughts on contemporary challenges in laboratory preparedness for emerging infectious diseases. During the recent Ebola epidemic, what laboratory testing did your hospital offer for patients with suspected EVD? Who performed this testing and where was the testing performed? Did you have dedicated equipment for laboratory testing or did you utilize existing core laboratory equipment? Eileen Burd: Patients with clinical symptoms and appropriate epidemiologic risk factors for EVD were stratified as high, intermediate, or low risk by the provider seeing the patient. If evaluation revealed low risk or no identifiable risk, standard tests were generally ordered that included tests for diagnoses other than EVD including complete blood count (CBC) with differential, complete metabolic profile (CMP), and malaria testing. Other tests that were ordered as indicated by the patient's symptoms included blood cultures, respiratory virus testing, urinalysis, urine culture, and molecular gastrointestinal panels. Blood and other specimens were collected a?|
展开▼
