CDC's Questions and Answers on Ebola Virus and Prevention

Questions and Answers on Ebola

General Infection Control Travelers In the US The 2014 Ebola outbreak is the largest in history and the first Ebola epidemic the world has ever known — affecting multiple countries in West Africa. Although the risk of an Ebola outbreak in the United States is very low, CDC and partners are taking precautions to prevent this from happening. A small number of cases in Nigeria have been associated with a man from Liberia who traveled to Lagos and died from Ebola, but the virus does not appear to have been widely spread. CDC is working with other U.S. government agencies, the World Health Organization, and other domestic and international partners and has activated its Emergency Operations Center to help coordinate technical assistance and control activities with partners. CDC has also deployed teams of public health experts to West Africa and continues to send public health experts to the affected countries. For general information about Ebola, please use the links below: About EbolaSigns and SymptomsTransmissionRisk of ExposurePrevention General How do I protect myself against Ebola? If you must travel to an area affected by the 2014 Ebola outbreak, protect yourself by doing the following: Wash hands frequently or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer. Avoid contact with blood and body fluids of any person, particularly someone who is sick. Do not handle items that may have come in contact with an infected person’s blood or body fluids. Do not touch the body of someone who has died from Ebola. Do not touch bats and nonhuman primates or their blood and fluids and do not touch or eat raw meat prepared from these animals. Avoid hospitals where Ebola patients are being treated. The U.S. Embassy or consulate is often able to provide advice on medical facilities. Seek medical care immediately if you develop fever (temperature of 101.5°F/ 38.6°C) and any of the other following symptoms: headache, muscle pain, diarrhea, vomiting, stomach pain, or unexplained bruising or bleeding. Limit your contact with other people until and when you go to the doctor. Do not travel anywhere else besides a healthcare facility. CDC has issued a Warning, Level 3 travel notice for three countries. U.S. citizens should avoid all nonessential travel to Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone. CDC has issued an Alert, Level 2 travel notice for Nigeria. Travelers to Nigeria should take enhanced precautions to prevent Ebola. CDC has also issued an Alert, Level 2 travel notice for the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). A small number of Ebola cases have been reported in the DRC, though current information indicates that this outbreak is not related to the ongoing Ebola outbreaks in Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria and Sierra Leone. For travel notices and other information for travelers, visit the Travelers’ Health Ebola web page.