title: On the quarantine period for ebola virus.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  21 days has been regarded as the appropriate quarantine period for holding individuals potentially exposed to Ebola Virus (EV) to reduce risk of contagion. There does not appear to be a systematic discussion of the basis for this period.
  
  
  METHODS
  The prior estimates for incubation time to EV were examined, along with data on the first 9 months of the current outbreak. These provided estimates of the distribution of incubation times.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A 21 day period for quarantine may result in the release of individuals with a 0.2 - 12% risk of release prior to full opportunity for the incubation to proceed. It is suggested that a detailed cost-benefit assessment, including considering full transmission risks, needs to occur in order to determine the appropriate quarantine period for potentially exposed individuals.
authors: Departmetn of Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering, Drexel University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.
authors: Charles N
authors: CN
authors: Haas
keywords: Epidemiology; ebolavirus; incubation time; quarantine
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