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Management of a Sabiá Virus-Infected Patient in a US Hospital

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2015

Lori R. Armstrong
Affiliation:
Viral Exanthems and Herpesvirus Branch, Division of Viral and Rickettsial Diseases, National Center for Infectious Disease, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia
Louise-Marie Dembry
Affiliation:
Department of Epidemiology and Infection Control, Yale University School of Medicine, Occupational Health Services, Yale-New Haven Hospital, New Haven, Connecticut
Petrie M. Rainey
Affiliation:
Department of Laboratory Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, Occupational Health Services, Yale-New Haven Hospital, New Haven, Connecticut
Mark B. Russi
Affiliation:
Occupational and Environmental Medicine Program, Yale University School of Medicine, Occupational Health Services, Yale-New Haven Hospital, New Haven, Connecticut
Ali S. Khan
Affiliation:
Special Pathogens Branch, Division of Viral and Rickettsial Diseases, National Center for Infectious Disease, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia
Steven H. Fischer
Affiliation:
Clinical Pathology Department, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
Stephen C. Edberg
Affiliation:
Department of Laboratory Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, Occupational Health Services, Yale-New Haven Hospital, New Haven, Connecticut
Thomas G. Ksiazek
Affiliation:
Special Pathogens Branch, Division of Viral and Rickettsial Diseases, National Center for Infectious Disease, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia
Pierre E. Rollin*
Affiliation:
Special Pathogens Branch, Division of Viral and Rickettsial Diseases, National Center for Infectious Disease, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia
C.J. Peters
Affiliation:
Special Pathogens Branch, Division of Viral and Rickettsial Diseases, National Center for Infectious Disease, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia
*
Special Pathogens Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Rd NE, Mail Stop G-14, Atlanta, GA 30333

Abstract

Objective:

To describe the hospital precautions used to isolate a Sabiá virus (arenavirus: Arenaviridae)-infected patient in a US hospital and to protect hospital staff and visitors.

Design:

Investigation of a single case of arenavirus laboratory-acquired infection and associated case-contacts.

Setting:

A 900-bed, tertiary-care, university-affiliated medical center.

Patients or other Participants:

The case-patient became ill with Sabiá virus infection. The case-contacts consisted of healthcare workers, coworkers, friends, and relatives of the case-patient.

Intervention:

Enhanced isolation precautions for treatment of a viral hemorrhagic fever (VHF) patient were implemented in the clinical laboratory and patient-care setting to prevent nosocomial transmission. The enhanced precautions included preventing aerosol spread of the virus from the patient or his clinical specimens. All case-contacts were tested for Sabiá virus antibodies and monitored for signs and symptoms of early disease.

Results:

No cases of secondary infection occurred among 142 case-contacts.

Conclusions:

With the frequency of worldwide travel, patients with VHF can be admitted to a local hospital at any time in the United States. The use of enhanced isolation precautions for VHF appeared to be effective in preventing secondary cases by limiting the number of contacts and promoting proper handling of laboratory specimens. Patients with VHF can be managed safely in a local hospital setting, provided that appropriate precautions are planned and implemented.

Type
Original Articles
Copyright
Copyright © The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America 1999

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