The objective of the Ontario Contingency Plan for Viral Hemorrhagic Fevers is to provide a guide for a co-ordinated response within Ontario to the importation of suspected and confirmed cases of viral hemorrhagic fever (VHF), and to suggest appropriate management of cases and their contacts.

This document (downloadable below) replaces any previous contingency plan published by the Ontario government. Although a case of acute VHF has not been confirmed in Ontario, there have been both suspected and confirmed convalescent cases and the potential for importation is an ongoing concern. Circumstances under which the diagnosis of acute VHF should be considered are listed under 4.0, A Suspected Case of Hemorrhagic Fever. However, it is important that in all suspected cases, other more common and potentially treatable diseases are eliminated from the differential diagnosis. Evidence about the low transmissibility of Lassa fever by the aerosol route lead to the review of the original recommendations on isolation. Also, the antiviral drug ribavirin is now available for the treatment and possible prophylaxis of Lassa fever, and possibly some other VHFs.

CONTINGENCY PLAN Viral Hemorrhagic Fevers 38 pages | 179 kb | PDF format

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