Risks to healthcare workers with emerging diseases: lessons from MERS-CoV, Ebola, SARS, and avian flu

PURPOSE OF REVIEWSeveral viral diseases have emerged and impacted healthcare systems worldwide. Healthcare personnels (HCPs) are at high risk of acquiring some emerging infections while caring for patients. We provide a review of risk factors, evidence of infection in HCPs, and prevention strategies with Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus, Ebola virus disease (Ebola), severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), and avian influenza. RECENT FINDINGSHCP-related infections with Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus, Ebola, and SARS have been reported among 1–27%, 2.5–12%, and 11–57% of total cases, respectively. The case fatality rate of Ebola in HCPs has been reported up to 73%. The WHO guidelines for the global surveillance of SARS were developed in 2004 and used as a template for other emerging diseases preparedness. Risks to HCPs with emerging diseases are related to inappropriate and insufficient infection control measures during an initial encounter, at the beginning of outbreak and with an overwhelming number of patient cases. To date, there are no reports of avian influenza transmission to HCPs from affected cases. SUMMARYEarly and rapid detection of suspected infected patients with communicable diseases along with appropriate infection control practice, education, national and global preparedness guidelines would help to prevent disease transmission to HCPs.