Information about the Ebola Virus
|Click on the image above for the most up-to-date Ebola information from the CDC.
Loudoun County government agencies, in coordination with local, state and federal partners, are prepared in the event a case of Ebola occurs locally. It’s important to remember that people with Ebola cannot spread germs until they have symptoms, and that the disease is spread through direct contact with the bodily fluids of a person who has Ebola.
While Ebola is not here in the region, this is a good time to remind evereryone that there are important steps you can take to protect yourself against germs – such as Ebola, flu, enterovirus D68 and the common cold.
- Wash your hands.
- Cover your cough or sneeze with your elbow.
- Get a flu shot every year.
- Avoid contact with anyone who is sick.
- Stay home when you or your loved ones are sick.
The most up-to-date information about Ebola is available from the Centers for Disease Control
or by calling 1-800-CDC-INFO (800-232-4636). If you have questions, you may also call 703-737-8300 or email the Loudoun County Health Department at
Enhanced Screening at Dulles International Airport
On October 22, 2014, the CDC announced that public health authorities will begin conducting active post-arrival monitoring of travelers whose travel originates in Liberia, Sierra Leone, or Guinea. The full statement from CDC is online:
Beginning October 22, 2014, the United States is implementing travel restrictions in the form of additional screening and protective measures at ports of entry for travelers from the three West African Ebola-affected countries. All passengers arriving in the United States whose travel originates in Liberia, Sierra Leone or Guinea will be required to fly into one of the five airports that have the enhanced screening and additional resources in place. Those airports include Dulles International, New York’s JFK, Newark, Atlanta and Chicago. The October 21 statement from the Department of Homeland Security about the enhanced screening is online here
This means that travelers from Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone will:
- Receive information about Ebola, its symptoms, what to do if symptoms develop and information for doctors if travelers need medical attention;
- Be asked to answer questions to determine their risk of infection, have their temperatures taken and be observed for other symptoms of Ebola;
- If symptoms exist, be referred to CDC officials on site for further evaluation.
As a result of this process, CDC officials at the airport will determine whether a traveler can continue to travel, should be taken to a hospital for evaluation, testing and treatment, or is referred to a local health department for further monitoring and support.
This enhanced screening of those entering the U.S. from the affected countries in West Africa will support the surveillance and monitoring already in place throughout the region at hospital emergency rooms and other health facilities.