Ebola Information

What is Ebola
Adapted from World Health Organization

The Ebola virus causes an acute, serious illness which is often fatal if untreated. Ebola virus disease (EVD) first appeared in 1976 in 2 simultaneous outbreaks, one in Nzara, Sudan, and the other in Yambuku, Democratic Republic of Congo. The latter occurred in a village near the Ebola River, from which the disease takes its name.

The virus is transmitted to people from wild animals and spreads in the human population through human-to-human transmission.

It is thought that fruit bats of the Pteropodidae family are natural Ebola virus hosts.

Ebola Patient Preparation

If you have travelled to Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone or Democratic Republic of Congo (Équateur province) in the last 21 days or have been exposed to someone who travelled to these areas and you are experiencing any of the symptoms listed below go directly to the Emergency Department and advise the nurse immediately.

Symptoms of Ebola Virus Disease include:

• fever (38◦C or greater)
• severe headache
• muscle pain
• diarrhea
• vomiting
• sore throat
• abdominal pain
• unexplained bleeding

Proper measures:

• if you are coughing, please put on a mask
• wash your hands with the alcohol hand rub upon arriving at the emergency room area

How is North Bay Regional Health Centre Preparing?

• The North Bay Regional Health Centre is taking all possible measures, and following protocols and directives as outlined by the Ministry of Health to ensure the safety of patients, visitors, and staff as well as the community.
• We are screening all patients who come to the Emergency Department (ED). Signs can be found at all hospital entrances and outpatient clinics on site and off site, informing of the factors that could indicate potential Ebola exposure.
• We are working with our community partners to ensure appropriate screening measures are put in place.
• Training of unit-specific staff is in progress to ensure the proper use of Personal Protective Equipment.
• Although the risk is extremely low that North Bay will see a suspect case, based on our strict infection control measures we have in place, we feel confident that we are prepared should a suspect case be identified.