Month: October 2014

With the first confirmed case of Ebola in NYC, we remind Morris County residents that there are no cases in New Jersey. The patient in NYC remains in isolation and the three close contacts have been identified and are now in quarantine. NYC has begun to identify people who may have had contact with the patient, but are not considered close contacts.

We continue to update the Morris Health website with the most current information on Ebola from New Jersey Department of Health and the Centers for Disease Prevention and Control. We are coordinating with state and local health care partners to be watchful for any potential cases or close contacts.

A person infected with Ebola can’t spread the disease until symptoms appear

The time from exposure to when signs or symptoms of the disease appear (the incubation period) is 2 to 21 days, but the average time is 8 to 10 days. Signs of Ebola include fever (higher than 101.5°F) and symptoms like severe headache, muscle pain, vomiting, diarrhea, stomach pain, or unexplained bleeding or bruising.

Ebola is spread through direct contact with blood and body fluids

Ebola is spread through direct contact (through broken skin or through your eyes, nose, or mouth) with:

• Blood and body fluids (like urine, feces, saliva, vomit, sweat, and semen) of a person who is sick with Ebola.
• Objects (like needles) that have been contaminated with the blood or body fluids of a person sick with Ebola.

Ebola is not spread through the air, water, or food.

Protect yourself against Ebola

There is no FDA-approved vaccine available for Ebola. Experimental vaccines and treatments for Ebola are under development, but they have not yet been fully tested for safety or effectiveness.

To protect yourself from Ebola

• DO wash your hands often with soap and water or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.

• Do NOT touch the blood or body fluids (like urine, feces, saliva, vomit, sweat, and semen) of people who are sick.
• Do NOT handle items that may have come in contact with a sick person’s blood or body fluids, like clothes, bedding, needles.
• Do NOT touch the body of someone who has died of Ebola

As NJ continues to test people that may be sick with Enterovirus D68, they are beginning to find cases in N.J. So far a handful of people have tested positive. More people have tested positive for other enteroviruses and the cold virus It is important to know that this is the end of the enterovirus season and the beginning of flu season.

Anyone who has a cold that worsens quickly and/or develops breathing difficulties should contact their health care provider. Once again, the best prevention for illness is hand washing: often and with warm water and soap. Hand sanitizers are not as effective against viruses.

For more information, visit the New Jersey Department of Health website and review the Frequently Asked Questions, which is routinely updated. http://www.nj.gov/health/cd/documents/faq/ev_faq.pdf