Table 2.

Key considerations in assessing and managing the threat of an emerging infectious disease in health care facilities

Pathogen

•Taxonomy (provides clues regarding transmission routes, environmental stability, germicide susceptibility)

•Hosts

Epidemiology

•Locations of endemicity (ie, locations in the world where sources or reservoirs reside)

•Incubation period

•Transmission routes

•Infectivity (ie, communicability)

•Duration of infectivity

Clinical

•Symptoms

•Signs

•Risk factors for acquisition of infection

•Morbidity

•Mortality

•Risk factors for morbidity and mortality

•Diagnostic methods (sensitivity, specificity, biosafety)

•Therapy (availability, efficacy, safety)

Infection control

•Environmental survival

•Germicide susceptibility

•Isolation recommendations

•Recommended personal protective equipment

•Pre-exposure prophylaxis (availability, efficacy, safety)

•Postexposure prophylaxis (availability, efficacy, safety)

•Recommended biosafety level in the laboratory

•Recommended waste disposal (liquids and solids)