Health officials in Washington state are monitoring 23 people with Ebola after they have returned from Guinea and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), two West African countries that are currently witnessing outbreaks of the dangerous infectious disease.
However, “there is a low risk for people in Washington,” health officials said.
The 23 people will be monitored for approximately 21 days after arriving in the USA
“There is an outbreak of EVD in the province of N’Zérékoré in Guinea and in the province of North Kivu in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued an order requiring airlines to collect and supply contact information for CDC for passengers who have been to Guinea or the Democratic Republic of Congo in the 21 days prior to arrival in the United States, “they said.
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Ebola disease is rare but deadly.
“The viruses that cause EVD are located mainly in sub-Saharan Africa. People can contract EVD through direct contact with an infected animal (bat or non-human primate) or a sick or dead person infected with the Ebola virus,” they said. Washington state health officials.
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The Ebola virus is highly contagious and can be contracted through body fluids, such as vomiting, blood or semen. The virus can live in the semen of male survivors for more than three years, according to a study by the New England Journal of Medicine, and health experts say that as outbreaks become more frequent, it is important to understand more about how it is contracted.
That said, the risk of contracting Ebola in the United States is very low, the authorities emphasized.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.