Ebola information for Texas State campus community

Posted by Jayme Blaschke
University News Service
October 3, 2014

The case of Ebola diagnosed in Dallas has raised concerns about the potential spread of the virus. Texas State University has been monitoring the Ebola situation in Africa for several months. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommendations for evaluating persons with recent travel from the affected West African countries of Sierra Leone, Guinea, Liberia and Nigeria are being followed.  The university is participating in statewide conference calls provided by the Texas Department of State Health Services (TDSHS) to monitor prevention efforts associated with the Ebola case in Dallas. The campus community will be updated as the situation warrants.

Ebola is a serious disease that presents with symptoms including a fever greater than 101.5 degrees Fahrenheit, severe headache, muscle pain, vomiting, diarrhea, stomach pain or unexplained bleeding. The Ebola virus is spread through direct contact with the blood, secretions or body fluids of an infected person or contaminated objects such as needles. A suspected case must meet two criteria: 1) clinical symptoms of Ebola and 2) travel to an affected area or contact with an infected person within the last 21 days. There is no commonly available test for Ebola. Lab tests for Ebola will be accepted by the TDSHS and CDC only if the person meets the case criteria. 

For more information about Ebola, check the CDC website at www.cdc.gov/vhf/ebola/index.html or the TDSHS website at www.dshs.state.tx.us.

As part of its Ebola prevention efforts, Texas State  is requesting that any faculty, staff or students that have travelled to the affected West African countries and returned within the last 21 days contact the Director of the Student Health Center, Dr. Emilio Carranco, at (512) 245-2853 for recommendations on evaluation or monitoring.