Controlling the exotic diseases: 1. Isolation facilities.

The exotic diseases are highly virulent transmissible conditions that include Lassa fever, some viral hemorrhagic fevers, smallpox and plague. Any of these diseases could be brought into or diagnosed in Canada as the result of natural or laboratory acquired infection. The patients must be isolated until the presumptive diagnosis is proved. High-security isolation is necessary and needs to be backed up by high-security laboratory services. In Canada facilities for high-security isolation are generally not available; therefore, hospitals must preplan and be ready to effect the best possible isolation under the existing conditions. The plan should address construction, ventilation, filtration, temperature and humidity, together with protective measures for staff and careful handling of laboratory specimens. Materials the patient has contacted and areas or vehicles he or she has been in will have to be decontaminated, and appropriate, safe disposal of corpses must be considered.