CDC issues Ebola preparedness reminder to U.S. health care facilities

The ongoing outbreak of Ebola virus disease in the Democratic Republic of Congo serves as a reminder for U.S. health care facilities to review their infection prevention and control processes to safely identify and manage patients with communicable infections, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said today. The CDC communication reviews the steps that facilities should implement as a routine part of triage to quickly identify, isolate and inform public health authorities about patients who may have communicable infections; current Ebola infection prevention and control recommendations for U.S. health care facilities; the U.S. Regional Treatment Network for Ebola and Other Special Pathogens; and other resources. The DRC Ministry of Health last August declared a new outbreak of Ebola in North Kivu Province, resulting to date in nearly 900 cases and more than 560 deaths, according to the World Health Organization.