Public health management of healthcare workers returning from Ebola-affected areas  

The unprecedented scale of the Ebola virus disease (EVD) epidemic in West Africa has led to an international response which has increased over time and is likely to continue in the future. A large number of European and international experts, particularly healthcare workers, have been deployed in the affected countries through various governmental and non-governmental organisations, and will return to Europe in due course. In light of this, ECDC has published a new technical report on the Public health management of healthcare workers returning from Ebola affected areas. The report identifies options for public health measures according to the type of exposure individuals might have had to EVD patients and infected materials. In the first instance, all healthcare workers (HCW) returning from affected areas should be provided with information including: advice on general protective measures for contacts, with specific attention to family, close friends  and co-workers; advice on the monitoring regime recommended after deployment; procedures and information on how to report symptoms and seek medical help, available 24 hours a day, in case of onset of symptoms.    In addition HCW should undergo an individual exposure assessment as early as possible upon returning to characterise the level of exposure for the HCW. This can then be used as the basis for determining appropriate measures to be applied: