Ebola and Marburg Virus Information for Health Care Providers, Facilities, and Laboratories

What to do if You Have a Patient Presenting with Suspected Ebola or Marburg Virus Disease

Although in most circumstances diagnoses of other acute communicable diseases will be much more likely than Ebola virus disease or Marburg virus disease even among travelers from affected countries, facilities should remain vigilant for these diseases. Healthcare providers should also consider COVID-19, influenza, malaria, measles, gastroenteritis, and other illnesses that affect both travelers and non-travelers. Whenever there is concern about a viral hemorrhagic fever, you must discuss your patient's particular case with the local health department (LHD) or the New York City Department of Health (NYCDOHMH), as appropriate. Providers who are unable to reach their LHD can contact the New York State Department of Health Bureau of Communicable Disease Control at 518-473-4439 during business hours or at 1-866-881-2809 evenings, weekends, and holidays.

Screen any ill patient who presents with fever and additional symptoms related to Ebola virus disease or Marburg virus disease per the patient registration protocol outlined above with criteria outlined in the March 6, 2025 Viral Hemorrhagic Fever Health Advisory (PDF). The advisory includes information on evaluating a person for possible viral hemorrhagic fever, testing at a public health laboratory, signage, patient registration and screening protocols, training, exercises, infection prevention and control, patient placement, reporting, managing regulated medical waste, environmental infection prevention and control and surface cleaning and disinfection, ongoing patient care, and shipping clinical specimens. Ensure that evaluation for other diseases continues. For patients identified as potentially ill with Ebola or Marburg, follow "Evaluating a Person for Possible VHF" guidance listed in the advisory.

Do not refer patients potentially ill with Ebola or Marburg to an emergency department, hospital, or other facility without consulting with the LHD and alerting the facility before the patient arrives. This includes situations in which you speak to the patient on the phone but do not see them in person. However, if the patient must be immediately referred to an emergency department, at a minimum alert the emergency department and the local health department immediately, ideally before the patient arrives at the emergency department.

Sample Collection and Testing

If your health care setting has the capability to perform phlebotomy and if, after appropriate discussion with the LHD, testing for Ebola or Marburg is necessary, two 4 mL tubes of whole blood with ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) should be collected for adult patients. For pediatric patients, collect a minimum of 1 mL in pediatric-sized collection tubes containing EDTA. Do not use glass containers or tubes containing heparin.

Specimens should be sent to the New York State Department of Health's Wadsworth Center for New York State residents outside of New York City and the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene's Public Health Laboratory for residents of New York City, unless the facility is a Special Pathogen Treatment Center capable of performing testing. See VHF Specimen Collection for further information about specimen collection and transport.

Regulated Medical Waste after Treating a Patient with Ebola or Marburg

VHF-associated regulated medical waste treatment, disposal, and transportation is subject to both state and federal regulations. See the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance on Handling VHF-Associated Waste and the New York State Department of Health's Ebola-Associated Waste Management Guidance (PDF).