Infectious diseases — most of which are preventable — disrupt the lives of millions of Americans each year.

New threats can arise quickly, and lapse in preparedness can leave communities unnecessarily vulnerable. Below are resources to help hospitals, health care coalitions, and other organizations prepare for and respond to the diseases that are currently a threat to our world.

Monkeypox

There currently is a global outbreak of monkeypox affecting multiple countries in which the disease is not endemic, including the U.S. Monkeypox is a rare disease that is caused by infection with the monkeypox virus, which belongs to the Orthopoxvirus genus in the family Poxviridae. The Orthopoxvirus genus also includes variola virus (which causes smallpox), vaccinia virus (used in the smallpox vaccine) and cowpox virus.

Monkeypox is considered an immediately reportable disease in the State of Missouri. To report a suspected case, hospitals and clinics should contact their local public health agency or the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services’ Bureau of Communicable Disease Control and Prevention at 573-751-6113 or 800-392-0272 (24/7).

The Missouri State Public Health Laboratory will perform an orthopox test, and if it is confirmed positive, specimens will be submitted to the CDC for testing. Instructions for submitting specimens for testing are available.

Situational Awareness

•  U.S. Monkeypox Outbreak 2022: Situation Summary
• Map of Global Outbreak with Case Counts
• Travel Notice

Flu

Seasonal Influenza

Missouri health care partners continue to enhance preparedness and mitigation strategies regarding increased demands on the health care system during prevalent flu seasons. MHA partners with hospital staff, and state and local public health leadership to implement strategies for collecting and analyzing hospital information that could serve as an early indicator of potential resource constraints from increased flu activity.

Managing Seasonal Patient Surge

Regarding managing seasonal patient surge at health care facilities, ASPR TRACIE worked with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to provide the information included in HPP’s message about 1135 waivers and temporary surge sites. Additionally, ASPR TRACIE, along with multiple subject matter experts, developed Considerations for the Use of Temporary Care Locations for Managing Seasonal Patient Surge, which describes the major issues health care facility emergency planners must consider when determining patient surge management solutions for longer-duration events, such as weeks to months of managing seasonal illness surge.

For more information:

• DHSS Influenza Website
• CDC Influenza Website

Ebola

Based on current guidance for evaluating persons with Ebola, if an individual is found to be at risk, then the specified infection control measures must immediately be instituted, and hospital leadership, along with state and local public health officials, must immediately be notified. It is very important that these steps be consistently followed in all emergency departments. To report a suspected Ebola patient call the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services at 573-751-6113 or 800-392-0272 (24 hours a day/seven days a week), and call your local public health agency. Please follow the steps below for patients who present with symptoms and have recently traveled from Uganda.

• Patients should be placed in an airborne isolation room, if available, and appropriate PPE should be worn during the evaluation process.
• Hospitals and clinics that identify possible EVD patients should first call either their Local Public Health Department or the DHSS Emergency Resources Center at 573-751-5152 or 800-392-0272.
• Prior consultation with CDC is required before shipping a specimen to CDC for Sudan virus testing. All specimens collected from patients with suspected EVD must be shipped Category A as a nonselect agent.
• There is no FDA-licensed vaccine or treatment for Sudan virus, but MBP134, an experimental antibody cocktail therapy, has demonstrated efficacy in nonhuman primates. Supportive treatment can improve chances of survival when provided early.