The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Monday that the risk of Ebola spreading to the United States was low, but it nevertheless issued a Level 2 health alert, advising U.S. health workers to be vigilant.
The largest outbreak of the Ebola virus on record has spread across the West African nations of Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia since first detected in March, with more than 670 deaths, according to the CDC.
Two Americans working in Liberia were diagnosed with the virus last week. That raised fears that the virus could be spread to the United States by those traveling from the region.
But the CDC played down the possibility. “The likelihood of this outbreak spreading outside of West Africa is low,” said Stephan Monroe, deputy director of the agency’s National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases. Still, he said in a teleconference with reporters, “the CDC has to be prepared for the remote possibility.”
The alert advised U.S. doctors to check patients’ travel histories to identify those who might have recently traveled to West Africa. The CDC also urged physicians to learn the symptoms of Ebola, which include fever and diarrhea, and the immediate treatment necessary if they suspect it. The agency warned travelers going to West Africa to avoid contact with bodily fluids or blood of anyone in the affected areas.
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