| Course Description: |
The manual describes recommended Standard Procedures and VHF Isolation Precautions appropriate for reducing the risk of transmission of viral haemorrhagic fevers (VHF) in the health care setting. The recommendations also apply to prevent transmission of other diseases transmitted by direct contact with infectious blood and other body fluids such as HIV, hepatitis, and cholera.
The recommendations are practical and realistic for health care facilities in Africa with limited resources and make use of common low-cost supplies such as household bleach, cotton cloth, and plastic sheeting. Included in the manual are instructions for using a simple system for Ebola surveillance in which health workers collect a skin specimen from a fatal suspected VHF case and send it to the Centers for disease Control and Prevention for testing. With this early warning surveillance system, the diagnosis can be made before widespread transmission of this deadly disease can occur.
This manual is intended for health officers in the African health care setting. It was developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization in response to the Ebola epidemic in Kikwit, Zaire in 1995.
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