Guidance for Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Building
Service Workers Concerning Ebola Virus Disease (EVD)
(University Housing employees should consult the guidelines for University Housing in addition
to these guidelines)
The current risk for Ebola spreading in the U.S. and within the University system remains extremely low,
and it is very unlikely that blood or body fluids at the University would be contaminated with the Ebola
virus.
In order to contract Ebola, you must come in direct contact with body fluids from an infected person
through your eyes, nose, mouth or cut on your skin.
For Ebola to be suspected in an individual they must have either a:
1. Sudden onset of fever;
2. Have other flu-like symptoms - (headache, muscle pain, weakness) and/or abdominal pain,
vomiting, diarrhea AND
3. They must have had contact with another infected individual or been in an area which is
currently experiencing an Ebola outbreak within the last 21 days where they would have been
exposed (i.e. – West Africa countries of Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone).
It is also not likely that blood or bodily fluids (feces, vomit, saliva, mucus, sweat, tears, breast milk, urine
and semen) will be present in quantity early in the infection and the infected individual will most likely
already be in the hospital when they are expelling the highest volume of blood and body fluids.
If there are blood or body fluids present in an area where you must clean, do the following:
o
For blood, follow the Bloodborne Pathogen Exposure Control Plan for personal
protective equipment, cleanup and disinfection
o
For other body fluids follow your standard departmental procedures
o
Standard disinfectants and bleach solutions will kill most pathogens and viruses
(including Ebola) and
o
Always practice good hygiene and frequent hand washing.
If there is a reason to suspect (i.e. - confirmation of Ebola patient in an area you serviced) that blood or
bodily fluids that you cleaned and disinfected were from an individual with Ebola, contact your
supervisor and/or the SIUE Emergency Management & Safety department (618-650-3584) immediately.
This guideline was developed in part from guidance documents concerning Ebola from Indiana University with their permission.