Local Ebola Update: December 10, 2014

ECDOH Commissioner Dr. Gale Burstein and John Adolf, Deputy Commissioner for Emergency Medical Services, recommend that all Erie County first responders follow:

• CDC’s EMS Checklist for Ebola Preparedness (PDF)
• CDC's Guidance for EMS and PSAPs for Management of Known or Suspected Ebola Cases

An important mesage from ECDOH Deputy Commissioner for Emergency Medical Services, John Adolf to all EMS agencies dated October 17, 2014 can be found here:

• Message from Deputy Commissioner Adolf (PDF)

All suspect EVD cases should be reported immediately by telephone to the Erie County Department of Health (ECDOH) Epidemiology and Surveillance Office at (716) 858-7697 during normal business hours and (716) 961-7898 after hours, weekends, and holidays.

Key points for first responders:

• The likelihood of contracting Ebola is extremely low unless a person has direct unprotected contact with the blood or body fluids (like urine, saliva, feces, vomit, sweat, and semen) of a person who is sick with Ebola or direct handling of bats or nonhuman primates from areas with Ebola outbreaks.
• When risk of Ebola is elevated in their community, it is important for PSAPs to question callers about:
  • Residence in, or travel to, a country where an Ebola outbreak is occurring;
  • Signs and symptoms of Ebola (such as fever, vomiting, diarrhea); and
  • Other risk factors, like having touched someone who is sick with Ebola.
  • PSAPS should tell EMS personnel this information before they get to the location so they can put on the correct personal protective equipment (PPE).
  • EMS staff should check for symptoms and risk factors for Ebola. Staff should notify the receiving healthcare facility in advance when they are bringing a patient with suspected Ebola, so that proper infection control precautions can be taken.

Additional resources:

• CDC Ebola Signs & Symptoms: http://www.cdc.gov/vhf/ebola/symptoms/index.html
• CDC Guidelines for PPE:  http://www.cdc.gov/vhf/ebola/hcp/procedures-for-ppe.html
• NYS Dept. of Health Ebola Frequently Asked Questions: http://www.health.ny.gov/diseases/communicable/ebola/faq.htm
• NYS DOH Ebola Reference Materials: http://www.health.ny.gov/diseases/communicable/ebola/#ems_providers
• Letter to EMS Community from Lee Burns-Director of the Bureau of Emergency Medical Services (PDF)
• BEMS Ebola Training Guideline (PDF)
• Pre-Hospital Screening Guide for Ebola Virus Disease (PDF)
• ECDOH Ebola Screening Sign (PDF)