Forsyth County, North Carolina

By Yalonda Miller
Posted Monday, October 20, 2014

Concerned about Ebola? Read to learn more.

What is Ebola?

Ebola is a disease caused by infection of an Ebola virus strain.

What are the signs & symptoms?

Fever (greater than 38.6°C or 101.5°F)
Severe headache
Muscle pain
Weakness
Diarrhea
Vomiting
Abdominal (stomach) pain
Unexplained hemorrhage (bleeding or bruising)

Symptoms may appear anywhere from 2 to 21 days after exposure to Ebola, but the average is 8 to 10 days.

How does Ebola spread?

Ebola is spread through direct contact (through broken skin or mucous membranes in, for example, the eyes, nose, or mouth) with:

blood or body fluids (including but not limited to urine, saliva, sweat, feces, vomit, breast milk, and semen) of a person who is sick with Ebola
objects (like needles and syringes) that have been contaminated with the virus
infected animals (bats and primates)

Ebola IS NOT spread through the air or by water.

How do you protect yourself from Ebola?

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 or medical equipment.
Do not touch the body of someone who has died of Ebola.

If you believe you may have been exposed to Ebola through direct contact with an infected person call our Communicable Disease Nurse immediately at 336-703-3249. For more information: