This research aims to establish an improved evidence base for selecting PPE for use in filovirus epidemics that would provide sufficient protection from the virus while minimizing the risk of heat illness in the wearer. Given the unprecedented scope of the current Ebola epidemic, and the need for the most effective PPE, the proposed research must be a very high priority.The filovirus is the archetypal biohazard. A small infectious dose causes highly lethal disease for which there is currently no specifically effective treatment. A high death toll among healthcare workers who care for patients with Ebola and Marburg virus diseases is a fearful hallmark of filovirus outbreaks. Healthcare worker protection is one of the principal objectives of the international response to filovirus outbreaks.
