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    Maryland Department of Health
    Laboratories Administration

    ​Ebola Virus Testing at the Maryland Department of Health (MDH) Laboratory

    General Background

    Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) is a rare and deadly disease most commonly affecting people and nonhuman primates (monkeys, gorillas, and chimpanzees) and it is caused by an infection with a group of Filoviruses within the genus Ebola virus.  These viruses are endemic in certain wild animal populations in regions of western and central Africa and occasionally are responsible for outbreaks of EVD in humans that are initiated from handling wild animals or carcasses that may be infected with Ebola virus (primates, fruit bats, duikers). Ebola virus can then be further transmitted by blood or bodily fluids of acutely ill persons with suspected or confirmed Ebola virus disease, such as providing care in a home or healthcare setting, participation in corpse contact funeral rituals, working in a laboratory where human specimens are handled and sexual transmission. In an effort to promptly identify returning travelers and others who might have contracted EVD the CDC has provided a standardized Ebola virus real-time PCR assay to state public health laboratories. Additionally, the LRN – CDC has provided state public health laboratories with the Biofire Warrior Panel to test for Ebola viruses and other pathogens. For additional information on EVD including the current CDC Ebola case definition for recently returning travelers to regions where recent EVD cases have been documented visit the CDC website at:  https://www.cdc.gov/vhf/ebola/

    The signs and symptoms associated with EVD are non-specific and are similar to many other common causes of febrile illness in returning travelers.  Therefore, in addition to Ebola virus specific testing other conditions such as malaria and viral respiratory illnesses will need to be conducted to help establish the etiology of the illness. For more information visit the CDC Traveler Health website at: https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/diseases/ebola ​

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