Jiann-Ping Hsu College of Public Health Talks Fast Facts on Ebola Virus

Officials from the Georgia Southern University Pandemic Influenza and Emergency Infectious Disease Committee recently met to discuss community and campus preparedness and response related to infectious diseases such as the Ebola virus and Influenza. Isaac Fung, professor and infectious disease epidemiologist, and members of his staff, today gathered several fast facts to identify the virus and prevent its spread. Preventing infection of Ebola:

• Do wash your hands with soap and water often or use alcohol-based sanitizer 1,2
• Do not touch blood or bodily fluids (e.g. saliva, sweat, urine, feces, vomit) of those who are sick, do not handle bodies of individuals who have died from Ebola, or animals infected with Ebola2
• Avoid unnecessary travel to affected countries (Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone)3

 Recognizing the infection: *If you have recently traveled to an area where the Ebola outbreak is occurring*

• Seek medical care immediately if you develop a fever (greater than temperature of 101.5°F/ 38.6°C) and any of the other following symptoms1,2headache, stomach pain, muscle pain, vomiting, diarrhea or unexplained bruising or bleeding.

If you have not had any symptoms of Ebola for 21 days since leaving a West African country with Ebola outbreaks, you do not have Ebola.4 What to do if you think you or someone has the infection?

• Seek medical care immediately. Before you go to the hospital, notify the doctor about your symptoms, and your recent travel to West Africa or recent contact with someone sick with Ebola. Limit your contact with other people and do not travel anywhere else besides a healthcare facility. Avoid public transportation.

For additional information about Ebola visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention at www.cdc.gov. 1Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2014). What You Need to Know About Ebola. Retrieved from: http://www.cdc.gov/vhf/ebola/index.html 2Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2014). Questions and Answers on Ebola. Retrieved from: http://www.cdc.gov/vhf/ebola/outbreaks/2014-west-africa/qa.html 3Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2014). Advice for Humanitarian Aid Workers Traveling to Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria, or Sierra Leone during the Ebola Outbreak. Retrieved from: http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/page/humanitarian-workers-ebola 4Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2014). Advice for Colleges, Universities, and Students about Ebola in West Africa. Retrieved from: http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/page/advice-for-colleges-universities-and-students-about-ebola-in-west-africa