Infection control during filoviral hemorrhagic fever outbreaks: preferences of community members and health workers in Masindi, Uganda

Received 20 February 2009; received in revised form 8 July 2009; accepted 8 July 2009.

Summary

Interviews were conducted with health workers and community members in Masindi, Uganda on improving the acceptability of infection control measures used during an Ebola outbreak. Measures that promote cultural sensitivity and transparency of control activities were preferred and should be employed in future control efforts. We suggest assessing the practicality of body bags with viewing windows, and face shields with or without chin protectors, in future outbreaks.

Keywords: Viral hemorrhagic fever, Ebola hemorrhagic fever, Marburg virus disease, Infection control, Community perception, Uganda

a London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London WC1E 7HT, UK

b University of Minnesota Medical School, 420 Delaware St S.E., Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA

c District Directorate of Health Services, Masindi, Uganda

d Médecins Sans Frontières – Spain, Nou de la Rambla, 26, 08001, Barcelona, Spain

e Uganda Virus Research Institute, P.O. Box 49, Entebbe, Uganda

f University of Oslo, Institute of Anthropology, P.O. 1091 Blindern, 0317 Oslo, Norway

Corresponding author. Present Address: 692 Fairmount Avenue, Saint Paul, MN 55105, USA. Tel.: +1 651 472 4923.

PII: S0035-9203(09)00240-5

doi:10.1016/j.trstmh.2009.07.011

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