title: Personal Protective Equipment for Filovirus Epidemics: A Call for Better Evidence.
abstract: Personal protective equipment (PPE) is an important part of worker protection during filovirus outbreaks. The need to protect against a highly virulent fluid-borne pathogen in the tropical environment imposes a heat stress on the wearer that is itself a safety risk. No evidence supports the choice of PPE employed in recent outbreaks, and standard testing procedures employed by the protective garment industry do not well simulate filovirus exposure. Further research is needed to determine the appropriate PPE for filoviruses and the heat stress that it imposes.
authors.affiliation: Médecins Sans Frontières, Operational Center of Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: Armand G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Sprecher
authors.affiliation: Médecins Sans Frontières, Operational Center of Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: An
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Caluwaerts
authors.affiliation: Microgard Ltd, Kingston upon Hull, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Mike
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Draper
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Virology, Division of Intramural Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, Hamilton, Montana.
authors.forename: Heinz
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Feldmann
authors.affiliation: Personal Safety Division, 3M, Saint Paul, Minnesota.
authors.forename: Clifford P
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Frey
authors.affiliation: Emergency Preparedness and Response Office, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Atlanta, Georgia.
authors.forename: Renée H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Funk
authors.affiliation: Special Pathogens, National Microbiology Laboratory, Public Health Agency of Canada, Winnipeg, Manitoba.
authors.forename: Gary
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kobinger
authors.affiliation: Galveston National Laboratory, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston.
authors.forename: James W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Le Duc
authors.affiliation: Viral Special Pathogens Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia.
authors.forename: Christina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Spiropoulou
authors.affiliation: Human Factors and Ergonomics Laboratory, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
authors.forename: Warren Jon
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Williams
mesh_terms: D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D058872:Epidemics; D016563:Filoviridae / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D018702:Filoviridae Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D000067393:Personal Protective Equipment / Q000821:virology*
keywords: Ebola; heat stress disorders; hemorrhagic fever; protective clothing
references.citation: N Engl J Med. 2015 Jan 1;372(1):40-7
references.pmid: 25372658
references.citation: J Infect Dis. 1999 Feb;179 Suppl 1:S76-86
references.pmid: 9988168