Ebola fears spur protective gear buying in US

Washington

FEARS about Ebola have prompted a surge in purchases of personal protective equipment in the US as the World Health Organization (WHO) seeks to ensure West African countries get priority, the agency said.

The WHO is in constant dialogue with companies including DuPont Co that make personal protective equipment, or PPE, to ensure supply to prevent health workers contracting Ebola, Edward Kelley, the agency's director for service delivery and safety, said in Geneva. The WHO is buying about 500,000 sets of PPE a month, he said.