by Brianna Crandall — August 27, 2014—The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) recently launched online resources that will inform healthcare facilities professionals and others on the nature of Ebola and other emerging infectious diseases as well as how to help protect healthcare workers and others who may be exposed to the diseases.
As NIOSH explains, emerging infectious diseases are those whose incidence in humans has increased in the past two decades or threaten to increase in the near future. These diseases, which respect no national boundaries, can challenge efforts to protect workers as prevention and control recommendations may not be immediately available. The occupational safety and health community can prepare for these unpredictable disease outbreaks and prevent disease transmission with these resources for protecting workers, particularly healthcare workers, nurses, doctors, and first responders.
The Workplace Safety and Health Topics Page on Ebola and Other Emerging Infectious Diseases provides individual Web pages and resources related to:
- Ebola Hemorrhagic Fever (Ebola Virus Disease)
- Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS)
- Chikungunya Virus
- Flu Viruses: H1N1 Influenza Virus (Swine Flu) and Avian Influenza (Bird Flu)
The site also offers pages with information on Personal Protective Equipment for Emergency Responders; resources for Respirator Users; and resources, tools and training for Healthcare Workers.
NIOSH’s Ebola Hemorrhagic Fever page specifically addresses how Ebola spreads, symptoms of the disease, clinical guidelines, and an overview of the 2014 West Africa Outbreak. According to NIOSH, the Ebola virus does not pose a significant risk to the U.S. public.
