St. Lawrence County health facilities will be taking action to comply with an order from the New York State Acting Commissioner of Health requiring all hospitals, clinics and treatment centers to begin a series of measures to deal with the threat posed by Ebola virus disease (EVD).

Various entities within St. Lawrence County including hospitals, physicians, clinics, EMS and ambulance services and even funeral directors are required to take action immediately and comply with the terms of the order within 10 days, according to a press release on the order from the St. Lawrence County Public Health Department.

All patients presenting for care and treatment will be asked if they have travelled from West Africa in the previous 21 days. Contacts with known Ebola cases or travelers from countries most affected, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea, and Nigeria, will be asked if they have any symptoms of EVD, to aid in containing the disease as much as possible.

“Measures are being put into place in all health care facilities to attempt to identify and contain the disease caused by the Ebola virus. The number of cases of Ebola in the U.S. is expected to remain very, very small but it is critical that we identify, treat and contain those few cases that do appear in this country,” the press release said.

Per the commissioner’s order, every patient presenting to a health care facility in New York will be questioned about Ebola risk “because it is the only way to be sure of identifying those patients at risk for developing EVD. Those of us who have not traveled to the above mentioned countries in the last three weeks and those of us who have not been in direct personal contact with a known case of Ebola have no risk of developing the disease,” the Health Department said.

The symptoms of Ebola are initially the same as for any number of ordinary virus infections: fever, headache, muscle ache, malaise, vomiting, diarrhea. Those with these symptoms but who have had no direct contact with Ebola and have not travelled from the affected West African countries do not have to fear the Ebola virus, the department said, though people might well seek medical attention as they would for any illness.

The ambulance services, hospitals and clinics will be ready to receive suspected Ebola cases, but it is recommended that anyone who suspects exposure to Ebola call the Public Health Department at 386-2325 before going to an emergency room or clinic unless already sick and in need of help.

“Our Public Health staff will help you decide if you are at risk and advise you of further recommended care.

“As with any disease the first priority is to treat the afflicted individual with prompt and appropriate care. We also wish to protect the caregivers as best we can and protect the community.

“In the extremely unlikely event that a case of EVD appears in St. Lawrence County we at the Health Department and our partners in care in our community will be prepared for this disease and willing and able to deliver the care needed,” the press release from the county health department said.

For further information visit www.cdc.gov or www.health.ny.gov