Ebola: Is Fear Warranted

29-year-old Amber Vinson, who recently visited her family in northern Ohio, has been identified as the 2nd Dallas health care worker to have contracted Ebola.

The CDC is still saying that the chances of an outbreak in the United Stated are slim. Kristen Baker, Epidemiologist for the Zanesville-Muskingum County Heath Department said they are working with local and state health departments to put guidelines in place for identification, isolation, testing and treatment of patients.

"The health department here is working internally to develop protocol and we are also reaching out to partner agencies to make sure they are up to date on the status of the Ebola situation and that they have all the resources and information that they need" said Baker.

Ebola mimics other viruses, starting with symptoms such as fever, muscle ache and fatigue. Baker said it is important to understand that Ebola cannot be spread until a person is symptomatic and that you must come in direct contact with the bodily fluids of an infected person to contract the virus. She said there is one other important part to diagnosis.

"In order to be considered, a suspect patient of the Ebola virus you also have to have that component of traveling to a country where there is an outbreak or being in direct contact with somebody that has a confirmed case of Ebola."

Baker said that the most active way to prevent yourself from contracting any sort of virus is to cover any coughs or sneezes and frequently wash your hands, but there is no need for widespred panic about Ebola. 

For more information on Ebola go to http://www.zmchd.org/