All health and care workers require the knowledge and skills to prevent the transmission of Ebola virus or Marburg virus when providing care for patients. This course provides an overview of the mode of transmission of these viruses, the personal protective equipment required by health and care workers and measures to take for rapid identification and isolation as well as managing the environment.
Photo credits: WHO / Esther Ruth Mbabazi
Language: English
Current outbreaks, Ebola, Marburg
Course information
Overview: Ebola virus and Marburg virus outbreaks continue to occur, and amplification of transmission may happen in health facilities. Health and care workers are at highest risk while providing care to suspect or confirmed patients with Ebola or Marburg disease. This course targets health and care workers responding to these outbreaks, to provide information on the IPC measures to protect themselves, and mitigate onward transmission within the health facilities and spillover to the community.
Course duration: Approximately 2 hours.
Certificates: A Certificate of Achievement will be available to participants who score at least 80% of the total points available in all the assessments. Participants who receive a Certificate of Achievement can also download an Open Badge for this course. Click here to learn how.
What you'll learn
- Describe the routes of human-human transmission of Ebolavirus and Marburgvirus
- List the recommended personal protective equipment needed for health and care workers based upon risk assessment and activity
- Describe the infection prevention and control measures to prevent transmission in health facilities.
Course contents
Module 1: Modes of transmission for Ebolavirus and Marburgvirus:
In this module key facts about Ebolavirus and Marburgvirus will be reviewed. By the end of the module you will: review key facts about Ebolavirus and Marburgvirus virology; explain how Ebolavirus/Marburgvirus is introduced into human circulation; describe how human-to-human transmission of Ebolavirus/Marburgvirus occurs, and discuss communicability period for patient infected with Ebolavirus/Marburgvirus.Module 2: Screening and isolation during readiness and response for an outbreak:
In this module the process for screening and rapid isolation of suspected or confirmed cases will be described. By the end of the module you will: define screening and triage; describe how to set up adequate screening area/process, and list steps to take if a patient screens positive as suspected case, including isolation and referral .Module 3: Personal Protective Equipment for direct or indirect contact with patients with Ebola or Marburg disease or their environment:
In this module the requirements for selection of PPE based upon risk assessment including direct or indirect contact will be discussed. It is important that health and care workers receive extensive practical training on the steps for putting on and removing their PPE to achieve competency. By the end of the module you will: describe direct and indirect contact; identify the relevant health and care workers the PPE recommendations pertain to; describe the PPE requirements for direct and indirect care , and outline the steps for putting on and removing PPE.Module 4: IPC measures for the environment:
In this module measures for managing the health-care environment when caring for patients with Ebola or Marburg disease will be discussed. By the end of the module you will: review principles of environmental cleaning and disinfection during outbreaks of Ebolavirus and Marburgvirus; describe how to safely manage linens, and describe waste management requirements
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Certificate Requirements
- Gain a Record of Achievement by earning at least 80% of the maximum number of points from all graded assignments.
- Gain an Open Badge by completing the course.