Unexpected Ebola virus in a tertiary setting: clinical and epidemiologic aspects.
OBJECTIVE
To describe the clinical manifestations of viral hemorrhagic fever, and to increase clinicians' awareness and knowledge of these illnesses.


METHODS
Retrospective study of the clinical and laboratory data and management of two cases of Ebola virus infection with key epidemiologic data provided.


METHODS
Two tertiary care hospitals.


METHODS
Two adult patients, the index case and the source patient, both identified as having Ebola, one of whom originated in Gabon.


METHODS
One patient was admitted to the intensive care unit. The other was managed in a general ward.


RESULTS
Clinical and laboratory data are reported. One patient, a healthcare worker who contracted this illness in the course of her work, died of refractory thrombocytopenia and an intracerebral bleed. The source patient survived. Despite a long period during which the diagnosis was obscure, none of the other 300 contacts contracted the illness.


CONCLUSIONS
Identification of high-risk patients and use of universal blood and body fluid precautions will considerably decrease the risk of nosocomial spread of viral hemorrhagic fevers.
Richards
G A
GA
Department of Pulmonology and Critical Care, Johannesburg Hospital, and University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa.
Murphy
S
S
Jobson
R
R
Mer
M
M
Zinman
C
C
Taylor
R
R
Swanepoel
R
R
Duse
A
A
Sharp
G
G
De La Rey
I C
IC
Kassianides
C
C
D000328:Adult; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000517:prevention & control*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D029043:Ebolavirus / Q000145:classification / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D005260:Female; D019142:Hemorrhagic Fever, Ebola / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000635:transmission; D006801:Humans; D017758:Infectious Disease Transmission, Patient-to-Professional / Q000517:prevention & control*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013019:South Africa / Q000453:epidemiology