Taiwan is going all out in its Ebola prevention efforts following the first reported transmission of Ebola in the United States. That’s the word on Monday from the deputy head of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), Chou Jih-haw.
The first domestic case of Ebola in the United States is a Dallas nurse that was caring for a patient with the disease. Authorities say that while she wore protective gear during her multiple visits with the patient, a breach in protocol allowed the virus to spread to her. She is currently in stable condition.
At a press conference in Taiwan on Monday, the CDC’s Chou Jih-haw said that a risk assessment had shown that there was a relatively low chance of someone bringing the Ebola virus into Taiwan. However, he said that Taiwan is still taking precautions.
"American experts have also come up with that assessment, that we have a relatively low risk. But we cannot be careless," he said. "We have implemented border screenings to check for people with a fever. The screenings are directed at people from three African nations, and include a check for fever and a health assessment."
The three West African countries are Liberia, Guinea, and Sierre Leone.
World Health Organization statistics show that as of October 8th, there have been a total of 8,399 cases of Ebola in seven countries, including the United States, Spain and five West African nations. Nearly half of those cases resulted in death. More than half of the 416 medical workers who contracted the disease have also died.