March 23, 2015
The International Facility Management Association (IFMA) has identified resources relating to Ebola and decontamination/infection control in facilities as part of its dedication to thought leadership in environmental health and safety as one of the 11 core competencies of the facility management profession.
Since March of 2014, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has reported more than 4,600 human cases of the Ebola virus, the largest outbreak since the disease was first recognized in Zaire (now Democratic Republic of the Congo) in 1976.
According to the CDC, the Ebola virus is “a rare and deadly disease caused by infection with one of [five identified] Ebola virus strains.” Cases of the disease have been identified this year in West Africa (Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria, Senegal and Sierra Leone), Spain and the United States.
IFMA will continue to monitor developments in the occurrence of Ebola cases worldwide and share resources as available and applicable.
GENERAL RESOURCES ON THE EBOLA VIRUS: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention http://www.cdc.gov/vhf/ebola/about.html http://www.cdc.gov/vhf/ebola/outbreaks/history/chronology.html http://www.cdc.gov/vhf/ebola/outbreaks/2014-west-africa/distribution-map.html#areas World Health Organization http://www.who.int/csr/disease/ebola/en/
RESOURCES ON EBOLA AND INFECTION CONTROL IN FACILITIES: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/emres/business.html http://www.cdc.gov/vhf/ebola/hcp/infection-prevention-and-control-recommendations.html IFMA Health Care Institute http://hci.ifma.org/news/2014/10/14/ebola-and-infection-control U.S. Department of Health and Human Services http://www.flu.gov/planning-preparedness/hospital/influenzaguidance.html U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration https://www.osha.gov/Publications/OSHA_FS-3756.pdf
