Epstein-Barr virus infection: from awareness of medical staff to the organization of epidemic control measures

Abstract

The actuality of the infection caused by the Epstein — Barr virus (EBV) is due to its ubiquitous spread, the increase in morbidity, the chronic course of the infectious process, the high risk of the pathogen spread in organized groups of children and adults. A leading role in the timely identification and isolation of patients from medical organizations plays the awareness of medical workers on the issues of epidemiology, clinic and diagnosis of EBV infection. In order to assess the awareness of medical workers on these issues, a survey was conducted of 1,023 employees of various medical organizations in Moscow, including 514 doctors of therapeutic departments of hospitals, 342 otorhinolaryngologists, 167 dentists and assistants dentists. The conducted study revealed low awareness of medical personnel on all questions of the questionnaire, which creates a risk of nosocomial spread of the pathogen and requires an in-depth study of the epidemic process of EBV infection in the conditions of medical care for the subsequent development of a set of preventive and epidemic-control measures.