Title: Ebola Facts
Headings: Ebola Facts
Ebola Facts
What is Ebola?
Symptoms
Is Ebola contagious?
Where does Ebola come from?
Treatment
Prevention
EBOLA HISTORY AND RISK TO THE U.S.
Ebola Outbreaks
Is Ebola a threat to the United States?
What happens if a person with Ebola comes to the United States?
How can we decrease the risk that a person with Ebola comes to the United States?
What are authorities trying to do to contain the outbreak?

Content: Protocols have been put in place to ensure safe care for patients as part of the U.S. HHS National Ebola and Education Centers. How can we decrease the risk that a person with Ebola comes to the United States? Controlling the outbreak at its source remains the most effective way to prevent the outbreak from spreading to other countries. Trade and travel restrictions may seem to be a protective response, but are more likely to lead to additional negative consequences for affected communities and individuals and interfere with accurate monitoring at border checkpoints. What are authorities trying to do to contain the outbreak? The current outbreak has eluded control for more than a year due to an ongoing public health and humanitarian crisis that includes armed conflict, political instability, internal displaced persons, mass migration and an over-burdened and resource-limited public health infrastructure. 11 Concerned that the outbreak is threatening other countries, the World Health Organization declared a public health emergency of international concern -- a PHEIC -- a decision supported by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 12,13 The goal is to raise awareness and promote better local and international cooperation to coordinate responses to prevent further spread. The CDC and USAID are working with authorities to provide technical assistance and expertise including disease tracking, case investigation, contact tracing, case management, infection prevention and vaccination campaigns while the National Institutes of Health is supporting the randomized controlled trial of four investigational treatments. 14 These activities are supported by emergency Congressional funding which expired in September.