Important Information about Ebola
There have been no cases of Ebola in Washington State. The Kitsap Public Health District and local medical community partners are actively working together to prepare for the unlikely event an Ebola case is identified in Kitsap County. This page provides information and links on the following topics:
Kitsap Public Health District: What we are doing
Information for the general public
Information for travelers
Ebola & Pets
Information for colleges, universities & students about Ebola in West Africa
Information for Healthcare Providers
Information for EMS and Public Safety Personnel
Information for Media
Kitsap Public Health District: What we are doing
The key to controlling the spread of the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) is to identify suspect patients early, isolate them from others, and identify contacts so they can be monitored for symptoms. The Health District is in communication with leaders in the local medical community who are working together to coordinate local Ebola readiness efforts. Efforts to date include:
- The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Washington State Department of Health (DOH) have prepared extensive guidance on Ebola which Kitsap Public Health has shared with medical providers.
- Kitsap Public Health is in contact with DOH and CDC on the latest guidance and recommendations and will share new information with local medical providers.
- Kitsap Public Health has advised local medical professionals to look for symptoms in patients that could indicate Ebola infection and to ask such patients about their travel to affected countries and/or potential exposure.
- Hospitals and clinics have been advised to review procedures for isolation of possible Ebola patients and for the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) by care givers.
- Kitsap Public Health inventoried local supplies of PPE to ensure readiness.
- The Health District’s communicable disease public health nurses are trained in and routinely provide contact tracing for infectious diseases.
If a suspect case of Ebola is identified in Kitsap County, the individual would be placed in isolation immediately and the Health District would facilitate testing at the DOH Public Health Laboratory (PHL). The PHL is one of 13 laboratories nationwide that has be selected to test for Ebola. If there is lab confirmation, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) would immediately dispatch a response team to work with and assist the Health District.
Health District communicable disease public health nurses are available to answer questions about Ebola and can be reached by calling the Health District at 360-728-2235.
Information for the general public
- About Ebola
- Signs and Symptoms
- Transmission
- Risk of Exposure
- Prevention
- Questions and Answers about Ebola
- Ebola: What you need to know if you live in the U.S.
FACT SHEETS
- Fact Sheets are available Washington State Department of Health web site which has Ebola fact sheets available in English, French, Spanish, Chinese, Korean, Russian, Somali, Ukranian & Vietnamese.
- Facts about Ebola DOH fact sheet (English, Spanish)
- CDC Ebola Info graphic
- Is it Flu or Ebola?
NEWSLETTER ARTICLES
- Help spread the facts about Ebola (multi language)
Downloadable posters
Information for travelers
The risk is small but it is recommended you don't travel to a country that is experiencing an Ebola outbreak. If you absolutely must travel to a country experiencing an Ebola outbreak, the following links will provide important information with steps you must take before, during and after travel to an impacted country.
- CDC's Travelers' Health website
- Updated information on the Ebola Outbreak in West Africa
- Questions and Answers for travelers
MAP OF IMPACTED AREAS
Ebola & Pets
Information for colleges, universities & students about Ebola in West Africa
Information for Healthcare Providers
- Case definition
- PPE recommendations for healthcare workers
- CDC video “Donning and Doffing of Personal Protective Equipment”
- CDC resources for healthcare workers & settings
- Notifiable Conditions: Ebola
- Interim Guidance for Specimen Collection, Transport, Testing, and Submission for Persons Under Investigation for Ebola Virus Disease in the United States
- Kitsap Public Health District Provider Communication
Information for EMS and Public Safety Personnel
Information for MEDIA
- Kitsap Public Health District Preparing for Possibility of Ebola
- Washington State Department of Health Newsroom
- CDC Newsroom
Page updated 08/01/15