[Smokin' Joe]

We are dealing with a bloodborne disease with a possible secondary route through droplet transmission after all.

Some of us have been saying that all along. When Writebol was infected, nothing else made sense. She had no direct patient contact, but may have been down wind from where they washed/decontaminated the PPE. It is possible fomites got her, too.

[RMB]

Transmission of the Ebola virus via fomites during the decontamination process and removal of PPE is definitely a possibility to account for the Ebola infections of both Writbol and Brantly.
One thing struck me, however, from both of their accounts: they worked with a Liberian in the decontamination area who later died of Ebola. Brantly and Writbol both related that the Liberian woman appeared perfectly healthy at work, but on the following day presented at the clinic with symptoms of Ebola and later died. Perhaps the Liberian woman was shedding sufficient virus while asymptomatic to expose Writbol and Brantly or she too became exposed to fomites during the decontamination process. Given the number of HCW who have died from Ebola yet could not clearly articulate when or how they became exposed, all transmission possibilities must be considered.