Local city and county health officials report they are preparing for the possibility of individuals in the Cedar Creek Lake area contracting Ebola virus disease.

The officials noted there is"no imminent threat" to the community, and the measures are precautionary.

Gun Barrel City Manager Gerry Boren advised the community in a letter Oct.16 that the city’s police and fire departments and other first responders are being briefed on the Centers for Disease Control’s advisory of the signs and symptoms of the disease.

Boren said the recent events in Dallas concerning three Ebola patients in Dallas, one of whom has died, prompted the city’s action. “As with many diseases, the transmissions of Ebola can be prevented by using appropriate infection control measures,” he said.

Texas Health Resources Presbyterian Hospital in Dallas treated the Ebola patient who died, and two of the nurses who attended to him contracted the virus from him, despite the protective measures they took. The two nurses were transferred to hospitals in other states equipped for treating Ebola patients to free up space at the Dallas hospital in case of more infections of Dallas residents, according to Dallas County officials.

Local residents are frequent visitors to Dallas, and many lake area residents commute to employment sites in Dallas-Fort Worth. The Ebola virus is thought not to be contagious unless patients are exhibiting symptoms that include fevers, vomiting and diarrhea. Patients would be most infectious when they are severely ill.

Boren noted the Texas Department of State Health Services is monitoring Ebola in Texas and specifically the Dallas area. Contact tracing is updated at noon each day and can be seen at www.dshs.state.tx.us/.

“It is imperative that our neighbors know that the city and East Texas Medical Center are working together and have plans (Ebola Operational Plan) in place for the control and treatment of this infectious disease,” Boren said.

ETMC Athens has an isolation chamber for infectious diseases where an Ebola patient could be protected until transfer to an appropriate hospital for treatment, according to an Athens Daily Review report.

Kaufman County posted a message on its website advising that the county’s Emergency Management Department is also monitoring the Ebola situation and staying in touch with state health officials, the Texas Division of Emergency Management and the CDC. The organizations have plans in place to “address any situation should it occur,” according to county officials’ advisory.

Texas Health Resources Presbyterian Hospital Kaufman is scheduling a seminar for local officials to provide them with more information about Ebola.

Henderson County County Judge Richard Sanders told reporters he also is following the possible developments regarding Ebola and staying in touch with state and federal health officials. He serves as director for the Henderson County Department of Emergency Management.

The World Health Organization’s website provides the following information about Ebola:

• Ebola virus disease (EVD), formerly known as Ebola haemorrhagic fever, is a severe, often fatal illness in humans.
• The virus is transmitted to people from wild animals and spreads in the human population through human-to-human transmission.
• The average EVD case fatality rate is around 50%. Case fatality rates have varied from 25% to 90% in past outbreaks.
• The first EVD outbreaks occurred in remote villages in Central Africa, near tropical rainforests, but the most recent outbreak in west Africa has involved major urban as well as rural areas.
• Community engagement is key to successfully controlling outbreaks. Good outbreak control relies on applying a package of interventions, namely case management, surveillance and contact tracing, a good laboratory service, safe burials and social mobilisation.
• Early supportive care with rehydration, symptomatic treatment improves survival. There is as yet no licensed treatment proven to neutralise the virus but a range of blood, immunological and drug therapies are under development.
• There are currently no licensed Ebola vaccines but 2 potential candidates are undergoing evaluation.