Is the county prepared for Ebola?

The 2014 Ebola epidemic may leave local residents wondering if Bourbon County is prepared should there be an outbreak of the virus in the area.

Local health and emergency officials said this week the county has a plan and is prepared for an Ebola outbreak, should one occur.

Alice Maffett, public health nurse with the Southeast Kansas Multi-County Health Department, said the health department has recently been issued several materials on Ebola from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

"I think we're prepared and have a plan," she said. "I've talked with Mercy infection and control nurse Mary Wynn and Mercy has already initiated and went beyond doing additional precautionary measures. I feel like they're doing strategies and continuing to perfect their plans.

"We're also working with the county emergency manager (William Wallis) and we correspond back and forth as well. Do I think we're a community trying to be prepared? Yes, I do."

Bourbon County Emergency Manager William Wallis agreed, saying he believes the U.S. is prepared to handle the Ebola situation and Bourbon County is ready as well should there be an Ebola emergency.

"In the U.S., we have the ability to control a lot of stuff and things and people," he said. "In other third world countries, they really don't. They don't have the intelligence, the ability to invade people's private lives. The medical world in the U.S. is taking Ebola serious."

Wallis said a big reason he feels the county is prepared is the communication and teamwork that goes on between his office, local fire departments, medical and health agencies, and city and county officials.

"At this time, we're as ready as we'll ever be. I think there are still some stones that need to be turned over and some things discovered about this particular virus," he said. "I have confidence in the people I work with that we could manage an Ebola outbreak because of the fact that we communicate and work together ... the biggest key to being prepared and ready is if you all communicate well and share everything you know and work well together, we will be prepared. It's a comfort level. We can work through any type of situation. I've seen it first-hand.

"Policies, procedures and plans being put in place is what emergency management is."

Wallis, who has 12 years experience working with FEMA, said at the top of his list for Ebola precautions for first responders and medical personnel is person protective equipment.

"That's my personal pitch," he said, adding he has had conversations with area law enforcement and fire personnel "and they have given it some thought. It's the first line of defense, PPE. When they respond to a possible Ebola situation, because of symptoms and prolonging, things can get a little bit convoluted as far as do they really have it or not? It's almost an unknown.

"They don't always put on protective equipment," Wallis added. "What happened to the people in Dallas goes back to PPE. From the emergency management side, I want to make sure each department has the responsibility for making sure they have it, and have it available so if we get the virus in the area, they know how to put it on and what to protect for. You can't stop people from responding to a house fire or vehicle accident. Their goal is to save lives."

Wallis said the Fort Scott Fire Department has a HAZMAT program and HAZMAT trailer, which he said is shared equipment and supplies stored for the Southeast Kansas region.

"Each individual firefighter and police officer don't have the equipment," he said.

Maffett said anyone who exhibits Ebola symptoms that have been identified, such as fever, headache, aches, diarrhea, vomiting, stomach pain and lack of appetite, among others, including those people who have recently traveled internationally to areas in West Africa that are currently being targeted or people who have been in contact with someone exhibiting those symptoms, should contact their doctor immediately.

"Those people should contact health care providers and inform them of symptoms ... and alert them to people they've been in contact with," she said.

Maffett said people have been "worried" as there is currently no vaccine available for the Ebola virus.

"The CDC says there is no specific medication for Ebola, no vaccine that cures it," she said. "People should take measures such as washing their hands and I know the holiday season is coming up, but maybe limiting their exposure to public places."

Maffett said the local health department has been working with the CDC and KDHE regarding information on Ebola. She also explained the link tying local agencies with larger health agencies and the plan that is put together during a crisis situation.

"Any facility seeing a person believed or suspected to be infected, they take them into a patient room that is isolated with a private bathroom," she said. "They're limited to no visitors at that time until they determine more about them. They're (personnel) wearing protective equipment. They take preventative measures."

Suspected Ebola patients are taken to an area "without people" where medical personnel take care of their medical needs and provide supportive treatment such as fluids, maintaining blood pressure, "any other type of bodily care," Maffett said.

If an Ebola outbreak occurred locally, Maffett said she would contact KDHE which then contacts the CDC. The health department also works directly with Mercy Hospital and its infection control department.

"If there was any type of measure or health threat to the community and there are needed supplies from the state, we contact the emergency manager about providing those types of supplies," she said. "This is not until Mercy has utilized all of their supplies or the health department has depleted supplies."

Wallis said his office works "hand in hand" with Maffett and the local health department and he also works with Mercy Hospital in sharing information.

"If something happened, like a fire or Ebola, as emergency manager, I look to the subject matter expert which would be the medical field," he said. "The incident commander calls the shots, but is surrounded with people who know what's going on and you can trust them.

"Christi Keating with Mercy, we share information and bounce things off one another," he said. "Right now, the Ebola situation is being watched and monitored closely by world health organizations. There's nothing to stop it from coming into the U.S. You can't stop people from traveling."

The CDC reported Thursday that it was to begin monitoring travelers arriving from Ebola-stricken nations.

"We contact the state from Bourbon County and tell them where the situation is at, and get reports from the health department and Mercy, fire departments and report that information back to the state," Wallis said.

Maffett said to date there have been no Ebola cases confirmed in Kansas. There have been some recent confirmed cases in the Dallas, Texas area. Maffett said just under 9,000 cases of the Ebola virus and 4,943 deaths from the disease have been reported worldwide.

"It's about 50/50," she said. "It makes it very serious. It only takes one person. People should take it very seriously. It's not spread by food, water or air or casual contact, just by direct contact with bodily fluids."

Maffett said news reports she has heard indicate that it has been determined to be OK to travel internationally, but travel to areas which have experienced Ebola outbreaks is not recommended.

Mercy Hospital Fort Scott issued the following statement Monday on Ebola preparedness:

"Mercy understands that our patients, community members and our coworkers may have concerns about the Ebola virus disease. Following the clinical protocols that meet or exceed those established by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), we are working hard to ensure that every entry point into our health system is prepared to identify patients with possible Ebola and triage them appropriately. We have established sites across our system for isolating and observing patients, and if a patient is confirmed for Ebola, we will transport to a CDC-approved treatment center or to one of Mercy's designated treatment centers in St. Louis, Springfield and Oklahoma City. Small teams of hospital-based clinicians are undergoing specialized training in order to provide the highest levels of treatment to patients and to ensure their own health and safety. Personal protective equipment - isolation gowns, gloves, facial screens and other garments - is accessible as needed at every Mercy location, and training is being provided to coworkers based on their role in the care process. We are committed to the highest levels of care and safety for everyone, including our patients, visitors and coworkers."

On Oct. 17, Mercy also provided additional information on Ebola as well as precautions through a written statement:

"Mercy facilities across Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma are taking every precaution in evaluating all patients for possible Ebola virus disease. The CDC recommends following standard droplet precautions (surgical masks and gloves) for any patient who presents with symptoms and has recently traveled to an Ebola-affected country. In addition, to further ensure the safety of our health care workers, visitors and other patients, Mercy is preparing to implement CDC airborne precautions, a more stringent level in which anyone who enters the patient's room will wear a N95 or higher level respirator. While Ebola is not spread through the air, but via direct contact with bodily fluids, airborne precautions provide an extra measure of safety."

The statements also encouraged people to visit Mercy's website at http://www.mercy.net/mercy-ebola-preparedness or the CDC website at www.cdc.gov for more information on Ebola.

The statement also said that should an Ebola outbreak occur in the area, "the local health department will be informed immediately."