The Ebola outbreak that began in West Africa earlier this year is the largest outbreak in history, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The following are 25 stories on the Ebola outbreak from Becker's Hospital Review, starting with the most recent.
4th American with Ebola arrives at Emory University Hospital — Emory University Hospital in Atlanta has received its third American Ebola patient, according to a WSBTV report. The yet-unnamed patient is the fourth American with the virus to be transported to the United States. The patient is a physician and was transported from Sierra Leone, according to the report.
3rd American missionary contracts Ebola in Liberia — An American physician serving as a missionary in Liberia has contracted the Ebola virus, according to SIM USA, a charity that sponsored the missionary. The unnamed physician was treating obstetrics patients, not Ebola patients, in a hospital in Monrovia.
HHS contracts with Mapp on accelerated Ebola treatment development — In response to the Ebola outbreak in West Africa, HHS' Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response has signed a contract with San Diego-based Mapp Biopharmaceutical for an accelerated drug development and testing program.
American Thoracic Society's journal publishes perspective on caring for Ebola patients — The American Thoracic Society's American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine published a perspective on caring for patients with the Ebola virus disease. The perspective called "Caring for Critically Ill Patients with Ebola Virus Disease: Perspectives from West Africa," discusses the devastating Ebola outbreak in Africa and potential supportive care strategies to care for those suffering from the disease.
New Ebola drug 100% effective in monkey trial — The newly created Ebola drug known as ZMapp was successful in saving all of the monkeys from dying from Ebola in a trial, according to research published in Nature.
Are U.S. hospitals prepared for potential Ebola patients? 7 statistics — Regardless of size or location, it is extremely rare to find a hospital in the United States with the physical facilities required, such as negative pressure isolation rooms, to isolate more than one or two Ebola patients, according to a survey by Black Book Rankings, a division of Black Book Market Research.
Viewpoint: Why 14th century Venice may hold the key to overcoming the Ebola epidemic — The way in which Venice dealt with the plague outbreak in the 14th century may hold lessons on how to handle today's emerging threats, such as Ebola, according to an article appearing in Springer's journal Environment Systems and Decisions.
CDC issues hospital guidance for handling remains of Ebola patients — Though the only two Americans with confirmed cases of Ebola have been discharged from the hospital healthy, the CDC has issued guidance for safe handling of human remains of Ebola patients for U.S. hospitals and mortuaries.
Rubber glove shortage: Disinfectants main weapon in fight against Ebola — Rural Liberian healthcare workers have never had enough rubber gloves. Caring for patients with bare hands is a common practice, according to a report from the Wall Street Journal. Because of the high fatality and rapid transmission of Ebola, hospital workers throughout Liberia have gone on strike, demanding appropriate protective materials from the government.
Kaiser patient tests negative for Ebola — The possible Ebola patient at Kaiser Permanente South Sacramento (Calif.) Medical Center has tested negative for the virus, the California Department of Health confirmed Thursday. The patient's blood was sent to the CDC for testing earlier this week out of an abundance of caution.
Emory University Hospital discharges 2 U.S. Ebola patients — The two American aid workers who contracted the Ebola virus have been discharged from Emory University Hospital in Atlanta where they received treatment, according to a USA Today report. Kent Brantly, MD, and Nancy Writebol were transferred to Emory from Liberia in early August. They were both treated with doses of an experimental drug called ZMapp.
CDC releases interim Ebola guidance for hospital environmental infection control — The CDC has released an interim guidance for environmental infection control in hospitals related to the Ebola virus. In early October, the CDC released recommended infection control measures for patients with known or suspected EVD.
CDC: 68 Ebola scares in US hospitals — Hospitals in 27 states have alerted the CDC of 68 possible Ebola patients in the last three weeks, according to an ABC News report. Of the 68 total cases, reported to the CDC out of "an abundance of caution," 58 were deemed false alarms without being tested after clinicians spoke with CDC officials about the patients' exposures and symptoms, according to the report.
Kaiser hospital tests patient for Ebola — A patient at Kaiser Permanente South Sacramento (Calif.) Medical Center may have been exposed to Ebola, and the CDC is testing the patient's blood for the virus.
Global Ebola pandemic unlikely, says catastrophe risk management firm — The current outbreak is now the largest outbreak of Ebola to date; however, while cases will continue to develop, a global pandemic is unlikely, according to a blog post by RMS, a catastrophe risk management company.
Healthcare coalition questions CDC's Ebola infection control recommendations — The Healthcare Coalition for Emergency Preparedness, an organization formed to raise awareness and educate the public on issues in plans to maintain healthcare facility operations in a crisis, is questioning the CDC's infection control recommendations for Ebola.
WHO: Ebola epidemic is an international health emergency — The World Health Organization has declared the Ebola epidemic in West Africa an international health emergency and appealed for global aid, according to a Yahoo News report. The decision came after a meeting of the WHO's emergency committee.
20 things to know about the Ebola outbreak — What hospitals need to know about the current Ebola outbreak, including what Ebola is and what's the latest news with the 2014 outbreak.
Something deadlier than Ebola, already in your hospital — News of Ebola is on every network and newspaper over the last few weeks, and rightfully so — the story is of great public health interest. But, there's something much deadlier than Ebola affecting American hospitals everyday: medical errors.
Emory University Hospital receives second Ebola patient — The second American with Ebola virus disease who was transferred from Liberia arrived at Atlanta-based Emory University Hospital Tuesday and was wheeled inside for treatment. Nancy Writebol will be treated in the same isolation unit as Kent Brantly, MD.
CDC: Infection control measures for hospitals treating Ebola patients — Emory University Hospital in Atlanta is currently treating a patient infected with Ebola, the first time a hospital in the United States has done so. In response to the worst Ebola outbreak in history, the CDC issued updated guidelines for evaluation of U.S. patients suspected of having the Ebola Virus Disease.
American Ebola patient's condition improving, another will be transferred to US — A second American stricken with Ebola in Liberia is planned to arrive for treatment in the United States this week while the first transferred patient, Kent Brantly, MD, is improving in isolation at Emory University Hospital.
Emory University Hospital to treat Ebola patient — An American who contracted the Ebola virus in Liberia will be transferred to the United States and treated at Emory University Hospital in Atlanta in the coming days. The hospital, which is near the headquarters of the CDC, has an isolation unit built in collaboration with the CDC that is set up to treat patients who have serious infectious diseases, according to an 11Alive News report.
Carolinas Medical Center isolates patient who recently went to Africa — Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte, N.C., roped off part of its emergency department and isolated a patient on Wednesday, leading rumors to circulate that the patient may have been suffering from Ebola, according to a News Observer report.
CDC: Risk of Ebola spreading to US unlikely — Even though the CDC has said it is unlikely that Ebola will spread to the United States, the agency still issued Level 2 alerts for citizens traveling to Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea.