HAMILTON, Canada-Health officials at Henderson General Hospital in Hamilton, Canada, are scratching their heads and readjusting their microscopes.
They do not know what is making a Congolese woman sick, but they do know it isn't the Ebola virus as previously thought.
The 32-year-old woman traveled from Democratic Republic of Congo to Toronto two weeks ago and was brought to the hospital February 4. She had the symptoms of a hemorrhagic fever and considering her travel history, doctors went into an emergency contingency plan and secluded the patient. They immediately suspected Ebola, which was named after a river in the Democratic Republic of Congo where the virus was discovered in 1976.
However, tests soon showed that the woman was not ill with the Ebola or Lassa hemorrhagic fevers. She has been diagnosed with low-grade malaria--a disease that is part of most Africans' everyday life.
Tests have taken away fears that the woman may have infected up to 70 people at the hospital before she was isolated. Doctors now think the woman is not a public threat. They have ruled out all known level 4 diseases--the most infectious viruses that require the most security from accidental contamination.
The woman, whose identity still has not been released, is near death. Doctors do not know if they will be able to diagnose what is making her ill.
Together We Rise: Why AORN Expo 2025 Is a Must for Every Perioperative Nurse
March 31st 2025From April 5 to 8, 2025, thousands of perioperative nurses will gather in Boston for the 2025 AORN Global Surgical Conference & Expo—a transformational experience designed to elevate nursing practice, build lifelong connections, and advance surgical care.
Vet IP Roundtable 2: Infection Control and Biosecurity Challenges in Veterinary Care
March 31st 2025Veterinary IPs highlight critical gaps in cleaning protocols, training, and biosecurity, stressing the urgent need for standardized, animal-specific infection prevention practices across diverse care settings.
Invisible, Indispensable: The Vital Role of AHRQ in Infection Prevention
March 25th 2025With health care systems under strain and infection preventionists being laid off nationwide, a little-known federal agency stands as a last line of defense against preventable patient harm. Yet the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) is now facing devastating cuts—threatening decades of progress in patient safety.
The Sterile Processing Conference Survival Guide: How to Make the Most of Your Next Event
March 25th 2025From expert speakers to cutting-edge tools, sterile processing conferences, like the 2025 HSPA Annual Conference and the SoCal SPA's Spring Conference, offer unmatched opportunities to grow your skills, expand your network, and strengthen your department's infection prevention game.
Redefining Material Compatibility in Sterilization: Insights From AAMI TIR17:2024
March 24th 2025AAMI TIR17:2024 provides updated, evidence-based guidance on material compatibility with sterilization modalities. It offers essential insights for medical device design and ensures safety without compromising functionality.