ROCKWALL, TX (October 2, 2014) On the afternoon of September 30, 2014, the first U.S. Ebola case was confirmed in Dallas. In response to the confirmation, Rockwall County Emergency Management and partner agencies came together to discuss preparedness actions that have already been and will continue to be taken, as well as precautionary measures that will be taken in the future should the need arise.
The meeting was led by Dr. Gary Bonacquisti, the Rockwall County Health Authority, and Joe DeLane, the Rockwall County Emergency Management Coordinator. Attendees at the meeting included representatives from local emergency management, local hospitals, law enforcement, fire departments, EMS, Rockwall and Royse City ISDs, and the Texas Department of State Health Services.
Emergency situations are constantly evolving and Rockwall County community leaders are working together to monitor the situation, educate, and protect the safety of our healthcare workers, responders, and residents.
The best source of public health information regarding the Ebola virus is the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) (link below).
A brief overview of Ebola is provided as follows:
Signs and symptoms include the following:
* Fever (greater than 38.6°C or 101.5°F)
* Severe headache
* Muscle pain
* Weakness
* Diarrhea
* Vomiting
* Abdominal (stomach) pain
* Unexplained hemorrhage (bleeding or bruising)
Symptoms may appear anywhere from 2 to 21 days after exposure to Ebola, but the average is 8 to 10 days. Recovery from Ebola depends on the patient’s immune response. People who recover from Ebola infection develop antibodies that last for at least 10 years.
Transmission
Ebola is spread through direct contact (through broken skin or mucous membranes) with
* blood or body fluids (including but not limited to urine, saliva, feces, vomit, and semen) of a person who is sick with Ebola
* objects (like needles and syringes) that have been contaminated with the virus
* infected animals
* Ebola is not spread through the air or by water, or in general, food.
The City of Rockwall and countywide agencies continue to monitor developments related to Ebola. Additional information and updates from the Centers for Disease Control and the Texas Department of State Health Services may be found by visiting the following links:
City of Rockwall News Alert: Ebola Update added by Editor on
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