Governor McCrory Gives Update on State's Ebola Readiness | Eastern North Carolina Now

    Raleigh, N.C. - Governor Pat McCrory, along with Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) Secretary Aldona Wos and State Epidemiologist Dr. Megan Davies, detailed today the state's preparation should an Ebola case be diagnosed in North Carolina.

    "For months, Secretary Wos and her team have been diligently working with medical providers, county health departments and the military to be prepared should an Ebola case be diagnosed in North Carolina," Governor McCrory said. "We are in constant contact with our federal, state and local partners to be on top of this rapidly evolving medical situation."

    North Carolina has been preparing since July for any Ebola diagnosis. DHHS has provided extensive guidance to health care providers and procedures are in place to screen and evaluate patients. Additionally, the department is actively monitoring for cases using a network of hospital-based Public Health Epidemiologists in the state's largest hospital systems and surveillance of hospital emergency department visits.

    The Public Health division has also worked with the Office of Emergency Medical Services to assist local EMS agencies with triage and treatment protocols for potential Ebola patients.

    "I am very proud of our state's efforts to prepare for the possibility that a patient might be diagnosed with Ebola in North Carolina," said Secretary Aldona Wos, M.D. "Our public health professionals have extensive training and experience in effectively reducing health risks in our communities and responding to outbreaks of communicable diseases in order to protect our citizens."

    The State Laboratory of Public Health located in Raleigh is capable of detecting an Ebola infection using procedures and materials provided by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the U.S Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID). The state lab is providing technical consultation to clinical laboratories on specimen collection, transport, and safety procedures while evaluating patients with recent international travel.

    An Ebola hotline has been established by Carolina's Poison Control Center run by Carolina's HealthCare System in Charlotte. The number is 1-800-222-1222 and press 6 for questions regarding Ebola.

    DHHS public health teams for contact tracing have been established and are deployable in the event of a diagnosed case. If needed, DHHS has the legal authority to establish a quarantine of people or buildings for up to 30 days.

    Coordination is also in place with Army, Navy and Air Force medical teams at the state's military bases should there be an Ebola diagnosis. Should a case be diagnosed, state and local health officials would rapidly identify everyone who was potentially exposed and take immediate measures to prevent further spread of the virus. Public health professionals in North Carolina have extensive training and experience with this type of investigation and response.

    DHHS is providing guidance for funeral directors for the proper handling of infected remains while the Department of Environmental and Natural Resources (DENR) is working on a protocol the disposal of any waste products from an infected person. DENR administers regulatory control of medical, solid, human and animal waste.

    "My staff in the state Department of Environment and Natural Resources has been working closely with our state public health partners in the Department of Health and Human Services to prepare should any cases be detected in North Carolina," said John Skvarla, secretary of the N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources. "We are monitoring the latest information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and are prepared to follow the proper guidelines on managing Ebola-related microbiological waste."

    North Carolina's Emergency Management is coordinating with various State Emergency Response Team partners to review plans and procedures for health emergencies. The division has been working closely with the NC DHHS Public Health Division, who are the subject matter experts for any health event.

    The Department of Transportation is also reviewing its response plans.

    "From our airports to our sea ports, our transportation network provides international gateways to North Carolina. Our employees, therefore, may be the first to detect a potential Ebola event in our state, which they would report to appropriate authorities for immediate action," said NCDOT Secretary Tony Tata. "We are reviewing our emergency plans to ensure our employees are prepared."

• Contact: Crystal Feldman
•     govpress@nc.gov