Region of Waterloo Public Health says that while the risk of contracting Ebola is low for residents of region and Ontario, local hospitals are prepared as a precaution.
“We facilitate lab testing and the hospitals are also well versed in what the isolation procedures would be; making sure the health care workers are wearing protective equipment,” said Kristy Wright, manager of infectious disease for the Region of Waterloo Public Health.
“I think the severity of the illness scares people.”
According to Wright, returning travellers are at greatest risk for Ebola – and given little travel between West Africa and Waterloo Region, the local risk is not significant.
Elsewhere in Canada, aiding to concerns that deadly virusmay now be in the country, officials confirmed that a Toronto patient recently travelled to Nigeria and is now in isolation.
Nigeria is currently listed among the West African countries that have had outbreaks, although it hasn’t had a reported case of Ebola for over 21 days.
“Nobody is in danger. Honestly, this individual technically fits the criteria but I am truly not concerned about them having the Ebola virus, we're just following the rules, that's what we're doing,” said Dr. Michael Gardam, director of infection prevention and control at the University Health Network in Toronto.
"The way the protocols go, if you decide to test, you really have to treat them as if they have Ebola up until the point that test comes back negative.”
He added that Nigeria and Senegal are West African countries are about to “fall off” the outbreak list, having had small numbers of Ebola cases earlier on in the outbreak, but none recently.
Results of the tests conducted on the patient in Toronto are expected to be available in the next 24 hours.
Written with files from CTV Toronto and CP24.
