Ebola Virus Disease Facts
EBOLA INFORMATION
Ebola Virus Disease (EVD), formerly known as Ebola hemorrhagic fever, is a severe, often fatal illness in humans.
Ebola Virus is a very difficult virus to catch; it is not transmitted like the flu or a common cold (respiratory transmission). Nor is it transmitted by ingestion of food or water. Ebola is transmitted via the bodily secretions of an infected person with the Ebola Virus. Once a person becomes infected with Ebola, they can transmit it to others if people come in direct contact with their blood or body fluid (i.e. breast milk, feces, saliva, semen, sweat, urine, vomit) or objects (like a needle) that have been contaminated with infected body fluids. Symptoms may appear anywhere from 2 to 21 days after exposure to the Ebola Virus, although 8 to 10 days is most common.
Early supportive care with rehydration, symptomatic treatment improves survival. There is as yet no licensed treatment proven to neutralize the virus but a range of blood, immunological and drug therapies are under development. There are currently no licensed Ebola vaccines but 2 potential candidates are undergoing evaluation.
Because outbreaks in West Africa, particularly, Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Guinea are so widespread in those countries, travelers to those endemic countries entering New York State will be screened and may be quarantined by Health Care Officials.
The Cattaraugus County Health Department (CCHD) is working closely with Cattaraugus County Emergency Services, Olean General Hospital, local first responders and health care providers to provide guidance, information and tracking of potential cases. CCHD in conjunction with New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), are working together to keep our community safe.
If you have any questions that we could assist you with, please call the Cattaraugus County Health Department Ebola information line at 716-701-3980 and press 0 to speak with a nurse. The line is for public health information purposes only, not for people who need health care attention.
Ebola public information telephone number to answer questions from New Yorkers on Ebola 1-800-861-2280. The call is free and trained New York State Department of Health staff will answer questions from the public 24 hours a day/7 days a week. The line is for public health information purposes only, not for people who need health care attention.
For more information on Ebola visit the following websites:
