Accurate knowledge regarding Ebola is critical and pertinent for practicing physicians and clinicians given the current risk of hazardous global outbreak and epidemic. Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness has launched a special issue, Ebola Virus and Public Health, to surround the public, medical professionals and media with necessary knowledge in this critical societal moment.

As part of this special issue, the journal has published A Primer on Ebola for Clinicians. The primer was prepared by Dr. Eric Toner, internist and emergency physician, as well as Amesh A. Adalja and Thomas V. Inglesby (all of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center). The primer discusses the history, epidemiology, microbiology, clinical manifestations, biosafety, prevention, treatment and experimental vaccines to offer an informative and inclusive background on the Ebola virus for clinicians.

The scale of the uncontrolled outbreak in Western Africa makes further exportation to other parts of the world an unfortunate possibility (as citizens across the globe have already witnessed, with cases appearing in Europe and the United States). Those who serve at the frontlines of emergency medicine, critical care, infectious diseases and infection control are in high need and demand, and in some cases, high risk. The primer provided by the UPMC professionals offers clear and concise information on the fundamentals of the virus, including its diagnosis, treatment and control. The public and media are especially apt to benefit from the clear and accurate information provided by the primer, as the popularity of social media makes misinformation about Ebola easily (and rapidly) sharable, believed and misattributed.

The DMPHP Special Edition on Ebola has been designed from the outset to be a conduit for operational and policy level information that will improve outcomes and decision making, and to ensure that this information is available to all practitioners.

As such, published contributions will go online immediately after appropriate review and placed chronologically to ensure a ready historical track for future review and debate. The Special Edition will be made available to everyone in the field as well as at the policy level decision makers worldwide.

View the special issue contents here free of charge. More articles will be added as soon as they become available online.

The SDMPH have released press releases on some of these papers- you can view these by using the links below:

Volunteer guidelines for clinicians in the ebola epidemic
A Primer on Ebola for Clinicians
Special issue on Ebola