Ebola or Not? Evaluating the Ill Traveler From Ebola-Affected Countries in West Africa

Fairley, Jessica K.; Kozarsky, Phyllis E.; Kraft, Colleen S.; Guarner, Jeannette; Steinberg, James P.; Anderson, Evan; Jacob, Jesse T.; Meloy, Patrick; Gillespie, Darria; Espinoza, Tamara R.; Isakov, Alexander; Vanairsdale, Sharon; Baker, Esther; Wu, Henry M.

Data collected for this study included demographic information, purpose of travel, travel history, vaccination history, malaria prophylaxis use, presenting signs and symptoms, laboratory test results, and final diagnosis. Fever was defined as a temperature of ≥38°C before presentation (as reported by the patient or the health department) or upon presentation; OR having a subjective complaint of fever. The purpose of antecedent travel was categorized into 1 of 4 groups: Ebola outbreak response, business travel (ie, conducting business unrelated to Ebola response in affected countries), visiting friends and relatives in the Ebola-affected country (VFR), or immigration to the United States. Epidemiologic risk of EVD was determined based on CDC criteria [6] . The final diagnosis for each patient was considered confirmed if testing identified an etiologic cause of symptoms (eg, influenza A). A syndromic diagnosis was assigned for patients without a confirmed etiologic cause found on diagnostic testing. Influenza-like illness (ILI) was defined as the presence of fever and 1 of the following symptoms: cough, sore throat, or other respiratory symptoms. An acute diarrhea syndrome was defined as an illness with reported prominent diarrheal symptoms, with onset within 3 days of presentation.