How can ebola be treated

The following sections may be of particular relevance to employers and workers whose workplaces may contain Ebola virus:. A useful matrix describes staff competencies across a number of skill domains, including identifying and describing hazards, controlling potential exposures, implementing administrative controls, and preparing for and responding to emergencies. Importantly, handling of samples from individuals with suspected or confirmed Ebola, or research samples of Ebola virus, should always be done in containment e.

Employers must also be prepared to safely and effectively decontaminate laboratory work environments, and handle waste generated from both the laboratory work and cleaning and decontamination activities. When selecting disinfectants, employers should consult EPA List L of selected registered antimicrobial products that meet the CDC criteria for use against the Ebola virus. OSHA's " Safe Handling, Treatment, Transport, and Disposal of Ebola-Contaminated Waste " fact sheet details best practices throughout the waste cycle, from the point of waste generation through final disposition of treated waste products.

Note: Different or additional engineering controls, PPE, and other measures may be needed to protect workers from exposure to hazardous chemicals used for cleaning and disinfection. Specific recommendations for engineering controls and PPE needed when working with samples known to or suspected of containing Ebola virus vary between clinical and research laboratories.

Each setting is discussed below. CDC BMBL guidelines , including Section IV , describe the standard microbiological practices, special practices, and safety equipment and laboratory facilities including engineering controls and PPE , for working at this level.

BSL-3 precautions require that all procedures involving the manipulation of infectious materials must be conducted within a BSC, or other appropriate physical containment devices.

Do not conduct work with open vessels on the laboratory bench or perform tasks that result in the generation of bio-aerosols—this may include vortexing, pipetting, aspirating, or other similar procedures—outside of the BSC. Class II BSCs use airflow into the front of the cabinet to keep potentially contaminated air and materials e. OSHA's new " PPE Selection Matrix for Occupational Exposure to Ebola Virus ", provides task-based guidance to help employers select appropriate PPE for workers who may be exposed to Ebola virus, including workers conducting clinical laboratory work on samples from patients with suspected or confirmed Ebola.

Workers must receive repeated training on and must demonstrate competency in putting on and removing proper PPE before working with clinical samples from Ebola patients. Some types of laboratory tests may be done in the same room or area where an Ebola patient receives treatment. For such practices, known as "point of care testing," healthcare workers wearing PPE suitable for the care of a hospitalized Ebola patient should perform laboratory tests on dedicated equipment.

This may help reduce risk for infection of clinical laboratory personnel and contamination of laboratory equipment in a hospital's core laboratory. Following a risk assessment and development of a comprehensive strategy for mitigating lab worker exposures, some types of specimens from individuals with suspected or confirmed Ebola may be safely handled and tested in the core clinical laboratory i.

CDC provides updated guidance for collecting, transporting, and testing specimens from persons suspected or confirmed to have EVD. Ebola viruses are considered BSL-4 agents in research settings.

BSL-4 agents pose a high individual and community risk of life-threatening disease that can be readily transmitted from person-to-person, directly or indirectly and for which there are no effective vaccines or treatments available. Accordingly, conduct research work on samples of suspected or confirmed Ebola virus at BSL-4, including taking appropriate precautions in properly equipped laboratories when performing tests on specimens obtained from humans and animals suspected or confirmed to be infected with Ebola virus or during necropsy and other laboratory procedures involving the remains of humans and animals infected with the virus.

Use a Class III BSC to protect both the laboratory worker and the laboratory environment whenever working with the highly infectious microbiological agents. Class III BSCs typically have double-pass-through mechanisms that integrate decontamination capabilities for equipment and samples e. Class III BSCs are not exhausted through the general laboratory exhaust system or back into the laboratory environment.

In instances where a high er -risk exposure s is present, workers may need impermeable coveralls without integrated hood instead of gowns or higher levels of respiratory protection e. Workers must receive repeated training on and must demonstrate competency in putting on and removing proper PPE before working with research samples of Ebola virus.

Workers involved in border patrol and security, immigration and customs enforcement, and public health investigation and quarantine work may encounter individuals with EHD arriving at U. These types of workers may also be exposed to infected blood and body fluids or other potentially infectious materials, contaminated objects, or other contaminated environmental surfaces as they perform tasks such as inspection of cargo, baggage, and arriving aircraft or vessels.

The U. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention CDC has prepared guidance for airline flight crews, cleaning personnel, and cargo operations workers.

Some of these guidelines may be applicable to border, customs and quarantine workers. Generally, employers must provide protective clothing and equipment for workers who may perform tasks that could result in exposure to Ebola virus, including, for example, employees who would be expected to clean up vomit or other body fluids from a sick passenger. CDC recommends providing sick travelers with surgical masks if the sick person can tolerate wearing one to reduce the number of droplets expelled into the air by talking, sneezing, or coughing.

Sick individuals may be requested to wear surgical masks when interacting with border, customs, or quarantine workers. Most border, customs, and quarantine workers at international ports of entry are likely to be employees of the U.

Federal employers must protect their workers from known occupational safety and health hazards. Overall survival was much higher for patients receiving either of the two treatments that are now approved by the FDA.

Whether or not other treatments are available, basic interventions can significantly improve chances of survival when provided early. These are referred to as supportive care, and include:. Skip directly to site content Skip directly to page options Skip directly to A-Z link. Ebola Ebola Virus Disease. Section Navigation. These areas include the testes, interior of the eyes, placenta, and central nervous system, particularly the cerebrospinal fluid.

Whether the virus is present in these body parts and for how long varies by survivor. Scientists are now studying how long the virus stays in these body fluids among Ebola survivors.

During an Ebola outbreak, the virus can spread quickly within healthcare settings such as clinics or hospitals. Clinicians and other healthcare personnel providing care should use dedicated, preferably disposable, medical equipment.

Proper cleaning and disposal of instruments such as needles and syringes are important. If instruments are not disposable, they must be sterilized before using again. Ebola virus can survive on dry surfaces, like doorknobs and countertops for several hours; in body fluids like blood, the virus can survive up to several days at room temperature.

Cleaning and disinfection should be performed using a hospital-grade disinfectant. In the United States, hospital-grade disinfectant refers to U. Skip directly to site content Skip directly to page options Skip directly to A-Z link.