23 Washington Travelers Monitored For Possible Ebola Exposure

WASHINGTON — The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) is monitoring nearly two dozen travelers who recently came to the Evergreen State after visiting African countries experiencing Ebola outbreaks.

The DOH says the travelers are "low-risk" and there is little to no danger to the public, but they are keeping tabs on the situation all the same.

All 23 travelers recently came to Washington after visiting either Guinea or the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Both countries have regions struggling with Ebola outbreaks —the N’Zérékoré Prefecture of Guinea and the North Kivu Province in the DRC.

Because of those outbreaks, the Centers for Disease Control have ordered airlines to report any travelers who were in Guinea or the DRC within 21 days of entering the U.S. When travelers who have been to those countries return to America, local health districts are alerted and asked to follow-up on the traveler's health for 21 days after their arrival, which the DOH is now doing.

A similar situation is unfolding in Ohio, which is also monitoring 44 residents for possible Ebola exposure.

The DOH stresses that, while Ebola can be deadly, the risk of catching it in the U.S. remains very low as the viruses that cause the disease can normally only be found in sub-Saharan Africa.

Learn more about the Ebola virus from the Centers for Disease Control.