JAMESTOWN – The growing concern of the deadly Ebola outbreak in West Africa is being noted in the Jamestown area.
Jamestown Community College is closely monitoring the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) information on the Ebola virus outbreak in several West African counties, as well as advisories from the New York State Department of Health.
According to a release from JCC, the officials with the CDC say that this outbreak currently does not pose a significant threat to the United States.
The CDC has also issued warnings to avoid non-essential travel to Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone, because of the worsening situation on those countries. An alert to practice enhanced precautions has been issued for travel to Nigeria. The CDC recommends that persons who have traveled to West Africa monitor their health after their return.
The Ebola virus is the cause of a viral hemorrhagic fever disease. Symptoms include: fever, headache, joint and muscle aches, weakness, diarrhea, vomiting, stomach pain, lack of appetite, and abnormal bleeding. Symptoms may appear anywhere from 2 to 21 days after exposure to ebola virus though 8-10 days is most common.
Ebola is transmitted through direct contact with the blood or bodily fluids of an infected symptomatic person or through exposure to objects (such as needles) that have been contaminated with infected secretions. Ebola is not a respiratory disease like the flu, so it is not transmitted through the air. Ebola is not a food- or water-borne illness.
Individuals who are not symptomatic are not contagious. For the virus to be transmitted, an individual must have direct contact with an individual who is experiencing symptoms.
For more information on the CDC’s monitoring and recommendations, visit www.cdc.gov/vhf/ebola/.
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