The Ebola virus is rare but extremely fatal and is spread through direct contact with a sick person’s blood or body fluid. In one of the worst Ebola outbreaks in history, 672 people have died from the disease in those three countries as of July 23, according to the CDC.
“The likelihood of this outbreak spreading outside of West Africa is low…[but] the CDC has to be prepared for the remote possibility,” Stephan Monroe, deputy director of the agency’s National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, said, according to the Washington Post.
The CDC urged providers to check patients’ travel history and to learn Ebola’s symptoms, which include fever, headache, muscle aches, sore throat and weakness as well as diarrhea, vomiting and stomach pain.
The agency also warned travelers in the area should be cautious and avoid contact with people who may be infected.
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