PUBLIC HEALTH ALERT
First Ebola Case Diagnosed in the U.S. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirmed, through laboratory tests, the first case of Ebola to be diagnosed in the United States in a person who had traveled to Dallas, Texas from Liberia. The person did not have symptoms when leaving West Africa, but developed symptoms approximately four days after arriving in the U.S. on Sept. 20.
At this time, the case in Dallas, Texas is the only active case in the U.S. Even with the first Ebola case diagnosed in the U.S. the risk of having a case in our community remains low.
What is Ebola? Risk, Transmission, & Symptoms
- All cases of human illness or death have occurred in Africa
- Ebola virus disease (EVD), formerly known as Ebola hemorrhagic fever (HF), is a severe, often fatal illness in humans
- The virus requires transmission through direct contact with the blood or body fluids of an infected person, and exposure to objects (such as needles) that have been contaminated with infected body fluids
- The viruses that cause Ebola are often spread through families and friends because they come in close contact with infectious body fluids when caring for ill persons
- Exposure to Ebola can occur in health care settings where staff are not wearing appropriate protective equipment, such as masks, gowns, and gloves or using appropriate infection control measures.
- Symptoms may appear anywhere from 2 to 21 days after exposure to Ebola virus though 8-10 days is most common
- Signs and symptoms may include: fever, rash, joint and muscle aches, diarrhea, vomiting, stomach pain, lack of appetite, rash, sore throat, cough, chest pain, difficulty swallowing, difficulty breathing and bleeding inside and outside of the body
Recommendation
- More information on Ebola can be found through the CDC website at http://www.cdc.gov/vhf/ebola/outbreaks/2014-west-africa/index.html
- Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS) protocols for monitoring Ebola:
- Conduct enhanced surveillance for any potential cases with a travel history to West Africa (intensive case identification)
- Distribute recommendations for healthcare infection control and other measures to prevent disease spread should a case be identified through our Health Alert Network
- Assist our county health departments so they can conduct rapid case investigations in the event that we end up with a case
For more information or if you have traveled to an area with known Ebola virus and begin to experience any of the symptoms, contact the Pima County Health Department at (520) 724-7797 or contact your medical provider.
Respectfully,
Francisco García, MD, MPH
Director & Chief Medical Officer