Where can we find information on the Ebola virus and how it affects veterinary practices?

To assist workers and employers, OSHA has launched a new Ebola Web page that provides information about the disease and how to protect workers. It includes sections on the disease itself, hazard recognition, medical information, standards for protecting workers, control and prevention, and additional resources. The page provides protection information for health care workers; airline and other travel industry personnel; mortuary and death care workers; laboratory workers; border, customs and quarantine workers; emergency responders; and workers in other critical sectors. It also links to the CDC and NIOSH Web pages on Ebola.

The Web page also includes an OSHA fact sheet on protecting workers (not in healthcare or laboratories) involved in cleaning and decontamination of surfaces that may be contaminated with Ebola virus.  Note: this not intended for ANIMAL WASTE CLEANING OPERATIONS...this fact sheet is designed to aid in the clean-up of HUMAN waste, but it certainly contains useful information for the veterinary profession.

The AVMA has information on Ebola in pets that can be very useful to practitioners: https://www.avma.org/KB/Resources/Reference/Pages/Ebola-virus.aspx

And a very useful "checklist" in case your practice is presented with an animal suspected of being exposed to Ebola in any way:  https://www.avma.org/KB/Resources/Reference/Documents/Ebola_Checklist.pdf

And the CDC's Q&A page on Ebola in Pets....very useful:  http://www.cdc.gov/vhf/ebola/transmission/qas-pets.html

 

 

Did You Know...?

Only a few species of mammals (for example, humans, monkeys, and apes) have shown the ability to become infected with and spread Ebola virus.

photo courtesy of the CDC/Cynthia Goldsmith