Cheyenne Regional Medical Center Infection Preventionist Erica Hanson says CRMC is making a major effort to identify any possible cases of Ebola virus infection.

Hanson says early identification is key to battling the spread of the disease, and CRMC has been screening all patients for the virus. So far no one has tested positive for the disease locally, and Hanson says the risk of an outbreak in Cheyenne is probably lower than in many other areas of the country. But she says  hospital officials still  take the threat seriously.

Hanson says in addition to identifying Ebola cases, the second part of the preparation process at CRMC is making sure all hospital personnel know how to use the equipment that would be used if a local case of the disease were identified.

Hanson says medical personnel are at the greatest risk of catching the disease from an infected person, especially since Ebola is most infectious in it's later stages.

She says another reason is that Ebola is spread through bodily fluids rather than casual contact.

 

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