Juneau County Health Department and Mile Bluff Medical Center in collaboration with the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS), are preparing in the event the Ebola virus is diagnosed here.
“At this time, there are no reported cases of Ebola in Wisconsin, and the risk of contracting it remains extremely low,” said Barb Theis, Juneau County Health Officer. “Preparing and collaborating on the federal, state, and local level will ensure that the public and health care providers receive prompt public health information.”
“People are naturally concerned about the Ebola virus, especially with the cases recently diagnosed in the United States,” said Theis. “While we work together to prepare, it’s also important to reassure the public that Ebola can only be transmitted through contact with the body fluids of people who are sick with the virus, or who have died from it. Ebola cannot be transmitted through the air.”
Healthcare workers and first responders are keenly aware that they must be especially vigilant with following rigorous safety practices in the event they are ever called on to assist or care for an Ebola patient. “Our hospital, clinics and EMS partners take preparedness seriously,” said Theis. “They continue to review and update plans for transporting and isolating a patient with Ebola.
“We want to stress that there are no reported cases of Ebola in Wisconsin, and the risk of contracting it remains extremely low in Wisconsin,” said Karen McKeown, State Health Officer. “DHS remains vigilant in its monitoring of the Ebola virus, and will continue to provide our partners and the public with the most current information and guidance concerning this disease.”
For more information about the Ebola virus and Wisconsin’s preparedness efforts, visit: http://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/communicable/diseasepages/ebola.htm . In addition, DHS has an information line available for state residents with questions about the Ebola virus. Residents can dial 1-844-684-1064, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The calls are free, confidential, and multi-lingual. DHS has partnered with 2-1-1 Wisconsin to establish the information line.
Contributed by Annette Rattunde