First Italian Ebola virus disease case: management of hospital internal and external communication.

ABSTRACT

On November 25, 2014, an Italian physician infected by Ebola virus in Sierra Leone was admitted to the "Lazzaro Spallanzani" National Institute for Infectious Diseases in Rome, Italy. He was the first Italian case and was successfully cured in 38 days. The staff responsible for communication had a critical role ensuring that this challenging mission went smoothly. The Institutional Press Office working together with the press offices of the Ministry of Health was able to provide the high level of expertise necessary within both medical and communication contexts. Communication strategy, tools and procedures adopted before and after the arrival of the patient are summarized.