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. 2015 Oct 1;212 Suppl 2(Suppl 2):S98-S100.
doi: 10.1093/infdis/jiv153. Epub 2015 Mar 27.

Personal Protective Equipment for Filovirus Epidemics: A Call for Better Evidence

Armand G Sprecher  1 , An Caluwaerts  1 , Mike Draper  2 , Heinz Feldmann  3 , Clifford P Frey  4 , Renée H Funk  5 , Gary Kobinger  6 , James W Le Duc  7 , Christina Spiropoulou  8 , Warren Jon Williams  9
Affiliations

Personal Protective Equipment for Filovirus Epidemics: A Call for Better Evidence

Armand G Sprecher et al. J Infect Dis. .

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.

Keywords: Ebola; heat stress disorders; hemorrhagic fever; protective clothing.

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References

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