“The risk of importing Ebola virus, through travelers within the European Union or in France, remains weak but cannot be excluded. “This is how the Directorate General for Health introduced its recommendations concerning the management of suspected cases of Ebola. Health professionals, through the Order of Physicians, have therefore been warned that “this unprecedented and serious situation thus increases the possibility of having to manage suspected cases and consequently requires increased vigilance on the part of professionals. and health facilities. “
French health authorities are preparing to face a possible risk of importing the virus. For this reason, any travel to Guinea, Sierra Leone, Nigeria and Liberia, the four countries affected by the hemorrhagic fever outbreak, is strongly discouraged.
Hygiene measures to follow
In its message, the Directorate General of Health recalls that a suspected case, according to the Institute for Public Health Surveillance, is defined as any person presenting, within 21 days of returning from the risk area, a higher fever. or equal to 38.5 ° C.
The French and airlines on site received advice and explanatory leaflets concerning the hygiene measures to be adopted. For healthcare professionals, it is essential to protect themselves from contact with the blood, tissues or body fluids of infected patients. In the presence of a suspected case, after having put in place isolation measures by placing a surgical mask on the patient, for example, it is advisable to immediately call the SAMU which, in conjunction with the Regional Health Agency and the Institute for Public Health Surveillance, will conduct an epidemiological assessment of the case.
