Dear Mr. Zitouniadis : Thank you for contacting me regarding the Ebola virus. I appreciate the time you took to write, and I welcome the opportunity to respond. In light of recent cases in the United States, I understand you are seriously concerned that Ebola may spread within the United States. I am in continuous contact with public health and medical officials in California and at the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and National Institutes of Health (NIH) and am closely monitoring national readiness to respond to and contain potential cases. The WHO has reported more than 10,000 cases of Ebola infection connected with the 2014 outbreak, with a fatality rate of approximately 70 percent. The vast majority of infections have occurred in the West African countries of Guinea, Sierra Leone, and Liberia. Ebola is spread through contact with bodily fluids of an infected patient and is not transmitted through the air, by sharing close quarters with an infected individual, or by touching surfaces that a patient has touched. The virus is not contagious before a patient develops symptoms of the disease. I share your serious concern that all hospitals be adequately prepared to respond safely to a potential Ebola case. With the exception of Mr. Eric Duncan, the first patient diagnosed in Dallas, Texas, all other individuals treated for Ebola in the United States have survived without infecting any contacts or healthcare workers. Every patient was treated at a hospital that is trained to handle and routinely treat infectious disease patients. In California, all five University of California hospitals have been designated as Ebola priority hospitals. Should a suspected Ebola case be diagnosed in California, these hospitals are well-positioned and prepared to safely treat infected patients transferred from other hospitals and healthcare facilities. Even with these measures in place, I believe all hospitals should be prepared to safely handle any Ebola cases that come through their doors until the patient can be transferred to a high-level facility. You may be interested to know that Senator Barbara Boxer and I recently sent a letter to the California Hospital Association urging California hospitals to take all possible measures to prepare for a potential Ebola case, and asking for information on their preparedness. I have sent a similar letter to the California Department of Public Health. I will continue to follow up with California hospitals and public health officials to ensure that the state is fully prepared. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Centers for Disease Control are taking action to contain and monitor travelers who may have been exposed to the virus and to minimize the risk of infection for healthcare workers that care for Ebola patients, including airport screening and mandated monitoring for travelers from West Africa and strict safety guidelines for healthcare workers. The latest information from DHS regarding measures in place for airline passengers arriving from affected countries is available at: dhs.gov/ebola-response 202-282-8495 For information on the CDCs preparedness efforts, updates on cases within the U.S., and to learn more about protections for healthcare workers, please contact: cdc.gov/vhf/ebola/ 800-232-4636 Overseas, the U.S. government is increasing efforts to help contain the outbreak. The CDC has been contributing field medical and epidemiological support since the outbreak began. In addition, the U.S. is sending military resources to help lead the international effort, including personnel to train local healthcare workers, build treatment clinics, and organize relief efforts. American military personnel overseas will not be providing direct care to patients. Finally, the U.S. government is working with biomedical companies to develop treatments and vaccines for Ebola. One treatment, ZMapp , has been administered to several individuals, most of whom have survived. The Department of Health and Human Services has announced that it will invest $25 million to accelerate production of ZMapp , with hopes that the treatment will be ready for clinical use by spring 2015. The National Institutes of Health and the Department of Defense have also recently started trials on two vaccines to prevent Ebola infection. For the most updated information on Ebola vaccines and treatments, please visit here or tinyurl/qhy9e4j . Once again, thank you for writing. Please know that I will be sure to keep your thoughts in mind as I consider any additional measures needed to protect Americans. If you have any other questions or comments, please do not hesitate to contact my Washington, D.C., office at (202) 224-3841. Best regards. Sincerely yours, Dianne Feinstein United States Senator
Posted on: Fri, 21 Nov 2014 02:57:38 +0000
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