Ebola: Is This a Hot Issue?
The recent Ebola outbreak in Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria, and Sierra Leone is certainly a hot topic in the news media. Daily news reports tell of the number of fatalities, and the heroic efforts of health officials from around the world who are struggling to contain the virus and treat those affected. While it can take up to twenty-one days for all the symptoms of Ebola to manifest, one of the early symptoms of the Ebola virus is sudden onset of fever; screening of potentially infected populations for elevated temperatures where they gather and as they move about the country in places such as train stations, subways, airports, and places of assembly could identify those needing further screening and greatly reduce the spread of the virus. So, the question remains, is containing the spread of Ebola a hot, or heat related issue?
Testing for the presence of antibodies in the blood known as the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test is the current recommended method of determining if someone has the Ebola virus. The test requires blood to be drawn, takes up to eight hours to obtain results, and is fairly expensive, especially when testing large populations. However, Forward Looking Infrared (FLIR) technology developed for the military, which evolved into Thermal Imaging Cameras (TICs) used by firefighters, has progressed in sensitivity to be beneficial in medical infrared applications. The newest versions of the TICs can measure body temperature to the hundredth of a degree and have proven very effective in the diagnosis of ailments such as breast cancer; in fact thermal imaging can detect some cancers ten years earlier than standard mammograms due to the increased vascular activity in pre-cancerous tissue versus that of healthy tissue. This same technology is being deployed in airports and other areas to detect fever which is a telltale sign of many types of illness, including Ebola.
The TICs are rare in American airports but are quite common in international airports of Europe, Africa, the Caribbean, and numerous other locations around the world. Originally TICs were deployed in airports to detect passengers with fever from suspected bird flu and has proven successful in similar applications to combat the spread of Dengue Fever and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). Some airports in Africa have begun screening passengers for elevated temperature during the normal security screening process. Non-contact temperature measurement is performed by the TICs, which are set to alarm when an elevated body temperature is detected; passengers with abnormally high temperatures can be segregated for further medical screening to determine the cause of the fever. In addition to the PCR test, a new field test know as REDS or Rapid Ebola Detections Strips can be utilized. REDS uses a sample of bodily fluid on the test strip resulting in a color change within fifteen minutes for a positive result.
Currently, there are over 200,000 Africans from the affected countries who hold visas to enter the United States. Absent adequate screening these people could enter the country and either knowingly or unknowingly begin spreading this serious disease. Government and public health officials have calmed fears by assuring the public that it is unlikely that an infected person could gain entry into the country and if they do, the spread of the virus could be quickly contained.
The use of thermal imaging technology can screen large numbers of people in a non-invasive manner which reduces delays to travelers, reduces costs, and removes the legal concerns of requiring passengers to submit to invasive testing procedures. TICs offer the best means of preventing the spread of disease and potentially saving thousands of lives. Containing the spread of Ebola is certainly an issue of elevated temperature.
