The 2014 Ebola epidemic is the largest in history, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, primarily affecting multiple countries in West Africa.  Although tragically there has been one confirmed death in the United States, the risk of an Ebola outbreak in the U.S. is considered by experts to be very low. CDC and partners are actively taking precautions to prevent this from happening.

The CDC maintains a section on its website dedicated to providing the most up-to-date Ebola information for the public, including the latest outbreak information, statistics, and many fact sheets and other resources.  

Information about Ebola translated into Spanish is available here.  Information in multiple other languages, can be found here.

• Baltimore City Health Department's Ebola Fact Sheet is located here.
• "Resources for Parents, Schools, and Pediatric Healthcare Professionals" from the CDC is here
• The CDC's Q & A page on Ebola can be accessed here.  
• "Is it flu or Ebola" - excellent CDC graphic
• "Questions and Answers about Ebola and Pets" - from the CDC
• An explanation from CDC about how Ebola is not spread through airborne germs can be found here.
• An infographic about Ebola and the United States can be found here.
• A fact sheet, "What You Need to Know about Ebola" can be found here.
• Learn how "contact tracing" can stop the Ebola outbreak in this infographic.
• "Ebola Information for West Africans Living in the United States" - from the CDC

Information from the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene about Ebola can be accessed here.

Excellent media pieces to watch / read about Ebola:

• "Volunteer doctors protect us from Ebola" (USA Today)
• "Possible Ebola case tests Maryland’s readiness" - Washington Post
• "What you need to worry about is catching the flu, not Ebola" - Dr. Sanjay Gupta
• "Actually flu is the virus you should be worrying about" - Washington Post (Ruth Marcus)
• An interesting story (8-minute clip) from PBS going inside the CDC's nerve center for Ebola: "Meet the disease detectives tracking Ebola at the CDC"
• Strong editorial from USA Today calming fears about the spread of Ebola: "Fear spreads faster than Ebola"
• Excellent and responsible commentary from Shepard Smith of FOX News about the current state of Ebola in the United States.

Some important facts about Ebola:

• You can't get Ebola through the air, water or food.
• An individual can only become infected with Ebola by:
  • Touching the blood or bodily fluids of a person who is sick with or who has died from Ebola.
  • Touching contaminated objects, like needles.
  • Touching infected animals, their blood or other body fluids, or their meat

Individuals with questions about Ebola can reach the Baltimore City Health Department via this email.

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