{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,10]],"date-time":"2025-10-10T00:59:11Z","timestamp":1760057951122,"version":"build-2065373602"},"reference-count":30,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"3","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,3,11]],"date-time":"2025-03-11T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1741651200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["TropicalMed"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Managing special pathogens cases, also known as high consequence infectious diseases, presents unique challenges for healthcare systems. It requires thorough planning and comprehensive operational protocols, as well as an appreciation of how human and organizational factors influence readiness. Based on the outcomes from a full-scale Ebola Virus Disease exercise at New York City Health and Hospitals (NYC Health + Hospitals), this paper presents a checklist of considerations to promote healthcare facility preparedness for special pathogens and to minimize gaps between protocol design and real-world implementation. This approach not only strengthens compliance with the new Joint Commission requirements but also provides a replicable framework for enhancing special pathogens preparedness within other healthcare systems.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/tropicalmed10030072","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,3,11]],"date-time":"2025-03-11T10:53:07Z","timestamp":1741690387000},"page":"72","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Streamlining Preparedness: A Practical Pathway to Special Pathogens Management"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"10","author":[{"given":"Sarah Irene","family":"Brown","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"System-Wide Special Pathogens Program, New York City Health\u2009and Hospitals, New York, NY 10004, USA"},{"name":"Department of Global Health, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Priya","family":"Dhagat","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"System-Wide Special Pathogens Program, New York City Health\u2009and Hospitals, New York, NY 10004, USA"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-9774-2435","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Aishani V.","family":"Aatresh","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"System-Wide Special Pathogens Program, New York City Health\u2009and Hospitals, New York, NY 10004, USA"},{"name":"Program on Science, Technology, and Society, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Saoirse","family":"Bodnar","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"System-Wide Special Pathogens Program, New York City Health\u2009and Hospitals, New York, NY 10004, USA"},{"name":"Department of Global Health, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Syra","family":"Madad","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"System-Wide Special Pathogens Program, New York City Health\u2009and Hospitals, New York, NY 10004, USA"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,3,11]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","unstructured":"NETECNSPS (2025, January 29). The NETEC Survival Guide\u2013Preparing for Ebola & Other Special Pathogens. NETEC. 21 December 2018. Available online: https:\/\/netec.org\/2018\/12\/21\/netec-survival-guide\/."},{"key":"ref_2","unstructured":"(2025, January 30). CDC Lassa Fever Situation Report Epi Week 2: 6th\u201312th January 2025-Nigeria ReliefWeb. 12 January 2025. Available online: https:\/\/reliefweb.int\/report\/nigeria\/ncdc-lassa-fever-situation-report-epi-week-2-6th-12th-january-2025."},{"key":"ref_3","unstructured":"(2025, January 24). Outbreak of Suspected Marburg Virus Disease\u2013United Republic of Tanzania. Available online: https:\/\/www.who.int\/emergencies\/disease-outbreak-news\/item\/2025-DON552."},{"key":"ref_4","unstructured":"(2025, January 29). Avian Influenza. Available online: https:\/\/www.who.int\/westernpacific\/wpro-emergencies\/surveillance\/avian-influenza."},{"key":"ref_5","unstructured":"CDC (2025, January 24). Lassa Fever Suspected in Death of U.S. Traveler Returning from West Africa. CDC Newsroom, Available online: https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/media\/releases\/2024\/s1028-lassa-fever.html."},{"key":"ref_6","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"332","DOI":"10.7861\/clinmedicine.17-4-332","article-title":"The UK\u2019s multidisciplinary response to an Ebola epidemic","volume":"17","author":"Reece","year":"2017","journal-title":"Clin. Med."},{"key":"ref_7","unstructured":"(2025, February 20). Marburg Virus Disease. Available online: https:\/\/www.who.int\/news-room\/fact-sheets\/detail\/marburg-virus-disease."},{"key":"ref_8","unstructured":"(2025, January 24). R3 Report Issue 41: New and Revised Requirements for Infection Prevention and Control for Critical Access Hospitals and Hospitals. Available online: https:\/\/www.jointcommission.org\/standards\/r3-report\/r3-report-issue-41-new-and-revised-requirements-for-infection-prevention-and-control-for\/."},{"key":"ref_9","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"S-1","DOI":"10.1089\/hs.2022.0072","article-title":"Special Pathogens Readiness in the United States: From Ebola to COVID-19 to Disease X and Beyond","volume":"20","author":"Sauer","year":"2022","journal-title":"Health Secur."},{"key":"ref_10","unstructured":"(2025, January 30). A New Species of Trouble Pandemic Center School of Public Health Brown University. Available online: https:\/\/pandemics.sph.brown.edu\/new-species-trouble."},{"key":"ref_11","unstructured":"(2025, January 30). A Nation Unprepared: Incomplete Implementation of the National Blueprint for Biodefense. Bipartisan Commission on Biodefense. Available online: https:\/\/biodefensecommission.org\/events\/a-nation-unprepared-incomplete-implementation-of-the-national-blueprint-for-biodefense\/."},{"key":"ref_12","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"104929","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ssci.2020.104929","article-title":"Human and organizational factors within the public sectors for the prevention and control of epidemic","volume":"131","author":"Fu","year":"2020","journal-title":"Saf. Sci."},{"key":"ref_13","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"533","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ajic.2017.11.001","article-title":"Lessons from the domestic Ebola response: Improving health care system resilience to high consequence infectious diseases","volume":"46","author":"Meyer","year":"2018","journal-title":"Am. J. Infect. Control"},{"key":"ref_14","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"230","DOI":"10.1007\/s40506-017-0123-y","article-title":"Role of Human Factors Engineering in Infection Prevention: Gaps and Opportunities","volume":"9","author":"Pennathur","year":"2017","journal-title":"Curr. Treat. Options Infect. Dis."},{"key":"ref_15","unstructured":"CDC (2025, January 29). About Viral Hemorrhagic Fevers. Viral Hemorrhagic Fevers (VHFs), Available online: https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/viral-hemorrhagic-fevers\/about\/index.html."},{"key":"ref_16","unstructured":"(2025, February 25). Ebola Outbreak 2021-N\u2019Zerekore, Guinea. Available online: https:\/\/www.who.int\/emergencies\/situations\/ebola-2021-nzerekore-guinea."},{"key":"ref_17","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Houghton, C., Meskell, P., Delaney, H., Smalle, M., Glenton, C., Booth, A., Chan, X.H.S., Devane, D., and Biesty, L.M. (2025, January 30). Barriers and Facilitators to Healthcare Workers\u2019 Adherence with Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) Guidelines for Respiratory Infectious Diseases: A rapid qualitative evidence synthesis-Houghton, C-2020 Cochrane Library. Available online: https:\/\/www.cochranelibrary.com\/cdsr\/doi\/10.1002\/14651858.CD013582\/full.","DOI":"10.1002\/14651858.CD013582"},{"key":"ref_18","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"111219","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jclinepi.2023.11.009","article-title":"A multimethods randomized trial found that plain language versions improved adults understanding of health recommendations","volume":"165","author":"Sayfi","year":"2024","journal-title":"J. Clin. Epidemiol."},{"key":"ref_19","unstructured":"CDC (2025, January 29). Public Health Management of People with Suspected or Confirmed VHF or High-Risk Exposures. Viral Hemorrhagic Fevers (VHFs), Available online: https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/viral-hemorrhagic-fevers\/php\/public-health-strategy\/people-with-suspected-or-confirmed-vhf-or-high-risk.html."},{"key":"ref_20","unstructured":"CDC (2025, January 29). Guide for Clinicians Evaluating an Ill Person for VHF or Other High-Consequence Disease. Viral Hemorrhagic Fevers (VHFs), Available online: https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/viral-hemorrhagic-fevers\/hcp\/diagnosis-testing\/evaluating-an-ill-person-for-vhf.html."},{"key":"ref_21","unstructured":"CDC (2025, January 29). VHF Clinical Specimen Packaging and Shipping. Viral Hemorrhagic Fevers (VHFs), Available online: https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/viral-hemorrhagic-fevers\/php\/laboratories\/specimen-packing.html."},{"key":"ref_22","unstructured":"CDC (2025, January 29). Clinical Screening and Diagnosis for VHFs. Viral Hemorrhagic Fevers (VHFs), Available online: https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/viral-hemorrhagic-fevers\/hcp\/diagnosis-testing\/index.html."},{"key":"ref_23","unstructured":"CDC (2025, January 29). Laboratory Testing for Patients with a Suspected VHF or High-Consequence Disease. Viral Hemorrhagic Fevers (VHFs), Available online: https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/viral-hemorrhagic-fevers\/php\/laboratories\/index.html."},{"key":"ref_24","unstructured":"(2025, January 29). Infectious Disease Readiness-NYC Health, Available online: https:\/\/www.nyc.gov\/site\/doh\/providers\/emergency-prep\/communicable-disease-preparedness.page."},{"key":"ref_25","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e012026","DOI":"10.1136\/bmjgh-2023-012026","article-title":"Historical trends demonstrate a pattern of increasingly frequent and severe spillover events of high-consequence zoonotic viruses","volume":"8","author":"Meadows","year":"2023","journal-title":"BMJ Glob. Health"},{"key":"ref_26","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"20140950","DOI":"10.1098\/rsif.2014.0950","article-title":"Global rise in human infectious disease outbreaks","volume":"11","author":"Smith","year":"2014","journal-title":"J. R. Soc. Interface"},{"key":"ref_27","unstructured":"Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (2025, March 03). Detailed Hospital Checklist for Ebola Preparedness, Available online: https:\/\/stacks.cdc.gov\/view\/cdc\/25694."},{"key":"ref_28","unstructured":"(2025, March 03). New York City Health + Hospitals Emergency Management. New York City Health + Hospitals Special Pathogens Program. Frontline Hospital Planning Guide: Special Pathogens. Available online: https:\/\/hhinternet.blob.core.windows.net\/uploads\/2019\/07\/NYCHH-Frontline-Hospital-Planning-Guide.pdf."},{"key":"ref_29","unstructured":"Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and National Institute for Occupational Health and Safety (2025, March 03). About Hierarchy of Controls, Available online: https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/niosh\/hierarchy-of-controls\/about\/index.html."},{"key":"ref_30","unstructured":"New York State Department of Health (2025, March 03). New York City Health. NYS\/NYC GUIDANCE FOR LABORATORY TESTING AND MANAGEMENT OF PERSONS-UNDER-INVESTIGATION, FOR EBOLA VIRUS DISEASE (EVD) IN NONDESIGNATED HOSPITALS, Available online: https:\/\/www.nyc.gov\/assets\/doh\/downloads\/pdf\/labs\/ebola-min-testing-capabilities.pdf."}],"container-title":["Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2414-6366\/10\/3\/72\/pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,9]],"date-time":"2025-10-09T16:50:22Z","timestamp":1760028622000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2414-6366\/10\/3\/72"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2025,3,11]]},"references-count":30,"journal-issue":{"issue":"3","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,3]]}},"alternative-id":["tropicalmed10030072"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/tropicalmed10030072","relation":{},"ISSN":["2414-6366"],"issn-type":[{"type":"electronic","value":"2414-6366"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2025,3,11]]}}}