Ebola
The facts:
Ebola is contracted from contact of blood or bodily fluids (including but not limited to urine, saliva, sweat, feces, vomit, breast milk, and semen) of a person who is sick with Ebola.
Signs and Symptoms
Fever
Severe headache
Muscle pain
Weakness
Diarrhea
Vomiting
Abdominal (stomach) pain
Unexplained bleeding
*Ebola is a virus and thus will have very similar signs of symptoms of such illnesses as the common cold and Influenza. It is important to remember that all the individuals that have been diagnosed with Ebola in the United States have been health care workers that were in direct contact with individuals who were extremely ill with Ebola. It is highly unlikely that you may contract Ebola unless you were in direct care of a patient with Ebola and came in contact with their blood or bodily fluids. We ask that you practice good hygiene techniques and wash your hands periodically with soap and water or hand sanitizer.
Although it is unlikely Ebola may reach our area we at Starr County Memorial Hospital are taking the threat of Ebola, although minor seriously. We have taken all the necessary precautions and we are in the process of undergoing extensive training for our staff so that we can respond accordingly if a case should arise. We feel confident that through our training and preparation, along with the cooperation of the other local hospitals we are equipped to treat and contain an episode so that we can keep the general public safe.