Local doctors watching for Ebola symptoms

WASHINGTON — Doctors and other health care providers across Maryland and Virginia are being reminded to stay vigilant and keep a close eye out for symptoms of Ebola.

Symptoms, such as headache and fever, should raise red flags, especially if the patient recently traveled to a high-risk region.

“We’ve been working with our health care providers and health care institutions to try to identify possible cases of people who traveled from West Africa and potentially have Ebola infection,” says Dr. David Blythe, state epidemiologist for the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.

There has not been a confirmed case in the D.C. area.

However, health officials are drawing renewed attention to Ebola protocol after a man in Texas tested positive for the virus.

In that case, there were medical missteps that allowed the patient to potentially expose others.

The patient was not properly screened until his second visit to the hospital.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, potential Ebola patients exhibiting symptoms should be tested immediately and, if positive for the virus, must be isolated.

State health departments in both Maryland and Virginia are clearly laying out guidelines.

On its website, the Virginia Department of Health says it “has a plan in place to work with its partners in the event a suspected case of Ebola is reported in the state.”

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