The nearest cases of the Ebola virus to the northwest have been in Texas, but Washington health officials are on alert. Tuesday the Spokane Regional Health District sent out details for how staff would track cases of Ebola if they were being treated in Washington state. This includes a weekly chart of cases in the county, Washington, nation, and related deaths.
The local health district has also notified local healthcare providers of the national recommendations on ebola. This includes eliciting patients’ travel history and considering the possibility of Ebola for patients with fever, abdominal pain, and diarrhea.
Harborview Medical Center in Seattle is currently one of five U-S hospitals who have signed a formal agreement to accept and care for Ebola patients who are evacuated from western Africa.
The northwest could also see Ebola testing. The Washington state public health laboratory in Shoreline is one of 13 in the country that can test for the Ebola virus.
