title: Ebola virus disease control in Poland - are we ready for fight?
abstract: Despite very low risk assessment, Polish authorities should be prepared for imported EVD cases and be ready to protect public against the spread of Ebolavirus (EBOV). There is the consistent system of infectious diseases surveillance and control in entire country, regulated by law. In Poland the Public Sanitary Inspection has jurisdiction over infectious diseases surveillance. A reporting system functions at three levels. The entire spectrum of viral hemorrhagic fevers is included in the list of 59th notifiable diseases and causative organisms. EVD is regarded as sever, often fatal communicable disease that should be notify promptly. According to Polish legislation EVD cases would be obligatorily isolated in hospital ward. Each potential contact of EVD case should be individually assessed for risk of exposure and categorized for staying under mandatory quarantine or under active monitoring. The governor of each Polish province has established the Epidemic Active Plan and indicated the place for quarantine if needed. The Ministry of Health established the procedures of management of EVD suspected cases and persons in risk to be infected with EBOV in outpatient care. There are prepared separate procedures for dispatcher of emergency medical service, GP's, hospital emergency departments and airports. There are 10 hospitals with division of infectious diseases, with high level isolation units, ready for EVD patient's admission. There is one reference laboratory in Poland in National Institute of Public Health, which performed tests for EBOV detection. The hospitals and outpatient care services and sanitary inspection were evaluated on possession the appropriate PPE for medical staff, in case of direct contact with EVD patient would be needed. Regardless, very law risk for Poland to be affected by EVD outbreak our country is sufficiently prepared for fighting with EBOV infection.
authors.affiliation: Chair of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Krakow, Poland. dorotamrozek@tlen.pl.
authors.forename: Dorota
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Mrozek-Budzyn
mesh_terms: D003140:Communicable Disease Control / Q000458:organization & administration*; D004189:Disaster Planning / Q000458:organization & administration*; D004196:Disease Outbreaks / Q000517:prevention & control*; D019142:Hemorrhagic Fever, Ebola / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006801:Humans; D061214:Patient Safety; D011044:Poland; D012308:Risk Management; D017751:Safety Management / Q000458:organization & administration*
keywords: Ebola; Poland; infectious diseases surveillance