News of the Ebola virus has been cluttering our news feeds at an alarming rate lately. With such frequent reports of possible and confirmed cases, it can be easy to become panicked about the situation. And while the current circumstances are absolutely scary and the issue a very serious one that needs to be addressed immediately, it’s important to keep calm and be aware of the facts. The CDC is doing everything they can to contain the threat and have put together an updated fact sheet for everyone’s benefit. Here’s what you should know about Ebola.
Ebola: What You Need to Know
Increased airport screenings are tracking passengers that may have been exposed to the virus. Airports in the U.S. (JFK, Atlanta, Chicago, Newark and Dulles, Va.) are asking passengers to fill out a questionnaire and have their temperatures taken if they are considered to have been at risk (travelling from Africa).
The CDC is reaching out to passengers who were on the flight with Texas nurse Amber Vinson, the second confirmed case of Ebola in the U.S. She flew from Cleveland to Dallas the night before she arrived at the hospital with a fever.
Ebola does not travel through air. It can only be contracted through direct contact with either an infected animal or, in human-to-human cases, by coming into contact with the blood or bodily fluids (including but not limited to feces, saliva, urine, vomit, and semen) of a person who is infected with the virus.
Coming into contact with infected items such as syringes and needles that have been contaminated with the blood or bodily fluids of an infected person or animal is also a potential way of contracting the disease.
Symptoms typically include: Fever, severe headache, muscle pain, vomiting, diarrhea, stomach pain, and unexplained bleeding or bruising.
A person who is infected with Ebola is not contagious until symptoms appear.
The CDC (Center for Disease Control) has put together a fact sheet with information on the disease and what they know so far. Here is a link to the PDF version to print or save and, most importantly, get informed.
As this situation continues to develop, it’s important to keep current on the facts. For the latest information, be sure to visit the CDC’s website.
