The Sept. 30 confirmed case of Ebola—the first diagnosed in the U.S.—took place close to home.
Nearby Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital in Dallas, about 25 miles from Frisco, is the first hospital to care for a patient with the deadly disease.
Even before the Dallas Ebola case, the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention had circulated information to health providers about assessment of patients potentially having Ebola and containment/quarantine if a patient is suspected of or tests positive for Ebola.
Local hospitals have precautionary steps in place in case a possible Ebola patient comes to the area.
Eric Backs, marketing representative for Baylor Medical Center at Frisco, said hospitals have been evaluating patients for possible Ebola for several weeks, per the Centers for Disease Control guidelines. All Baylor Scott & White Health hospitals and clinics have enhanced screening efforts at all points of entry. Staff is trained to place a patient immediately in isolation if a suspicious case enters.
In addition, each Baylor hospital, including Frisco, has the capacity to isolate and care for a patient situation where Ebola is suspected because of symptoms and travel or contact history.
Capabilities at hospitals include personal protective equipment (fluid-impervious gown, face shield, masks, eye protection, gloves) and have the use of negative-pressure isolation rooms.
Forest Park Medical Center Frisco Chief Nursing Officer Kathryn Murphy said the hospital's team of medical professionals, including emergency room staff, is aware and on the looking for any signs or symptoms of Ebola.
"Should the need arise, we are fully prepared with a procedure in place for patient isolation and transportation to a facility that has continuous specialty care in infectious disease," she said. "As always, patient care and safety is our top priority."
The following is information from Dallas County Health & Human Services on what Ebola is, how it is transmitted, what the signs of the disease are and how it is diagnosed.
What is Ebola?
Ebola is a severe, often fatal disease in humans and nonhuman primates.
How is Ebola transmitted?
Ebola is spread to humans through:
Direct contact with the blood or body fluids (including but not limited to feces, saliva, urine, vomit and semen) of a person who is sick with Ebola.
Contact with objects such as needles and syringes that have been contaminated with the blood or body fluids of an infected person or with infected animals.
The virus in the blood and body fluids can enter another person's body through broken skin or unprotected mucous membranes. The DCHHS said viruses that cause Ebola are often spread among families and friends because they come in close contact with blood or body fluids when caring for sick people
What are the signs and symptoms of Ebola?
A person infected with Ebola is not contagious until symptoms appear. Signs and symptoms of Ebola typically include:
Fever (greater than 38.6C or 101.5F)
Severe headache
Muscle pain
Vomiting
Diarrhea
Stomach pain
Unexplained 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.
What is my risk of contracting Ebola?
Those at highest risk include healthcare workers and the family and friends of a person infected with Ebola.
How is Ebola diagnosed?
The DCHHS says diagnosing Ebola in a person who has been infected for only a few days is difficult because the early symptoms, such as fever, are not specific to Ebola infection and are seen often in patients with more commonly occurring diseases.
However, if a person has symptoms of Ebola and had contact with blood or body fluids of a person sick with Ebola, contact with objects that have been contaminated with blood or body fluids of a person sick with Ebola or contact with infected animals, the patient should be isolated and public health professionals notified.
Visit www.cdc.gov/vhf/ebola for more information about the virus and the outbreak.
