A health care worker receives protocol on the proper removal of personal protection equipment from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) instructors in preparation for the response to the current Ebola outbreak, during a CDC safety training course in Anniston, Alabama, October 6, 2014.
(Reuters) - The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is increasing its national stockpile of protective gear for U.S. hospitals handling Ebola patients after a "sudden increase" in demand, the agency said on Friday.
The CDC has ordered $2.7 million in personal protective equipment that is being configured into 50 kits for rapid deployment to hospitals, it said in a statement.
Some U.S. orders of protective equipment have been backlogged amid growing domestic demand, as manufacturers prioritize a flood of requests from aid agencies trying to curb the outbreak in West Africa.
The CDC tightened its guidelines for people handling Ebola patients on Oct. 20, requiring a fluid-resistant gown, gloves, a hood, shoe coverings and a face mask.
"We are making certain to not disrupt the orders submitted by states and hospitals, but we are building our stocks so that we can assist when needed," Greg Burel, director of CDC's Division of Strategic National Stockpile, said in the release.
Ebola has killed more than 4,800 people, largely in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea. The virus is not airborne, but is spread through direct contact with bodily fluids such as sweat or blood.
