Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
Make a sustaining gift today to support local journalism!

Low Risk, High Prep For Ebola In Granite State

Associated Press

Hospitals across the state say they’re ready for the unlikely possibility that a patient with Ebola could walk through their doors.

There are a lot of reasons it is unlikely Ebola could come to the Granite State. There are no direct flights from West Africa to any New England airport. Also, Ebola only spreads from direct contact with an infected person.

Still, this week saw the first death from Ebola in the United States. So hospitals here are reminding doctors what the symptoms of the deadly virus are, and encouraging them to ask patients about their recent travel history.

Elizabeth Talbot, an infectious disease doctor at Dartmouth-Hitchcock and deputy state epidemiologist, says hospitals are ready to isolate a potential patient to ensure Ebola doesn’t spread.

"It can be terrifying to see the images coming from West Africa, and indeed it is a catastrophe there," says Talbot. "But [that] is not our circumstance in the United States or in New Hampshire, and I’m confident every hospital has what it takes to be prepared right now."

The World Health Organization says the death toll from Ebola in West Africa is approaching 4,ooo.

Before joining NHPR in August 2014, Jack was a freelance writer and radio reporter. His work aired on NPR, BBC, Marketplace and 99% Invisible, and he wrote for the Christian Science Monitor and Northern Woodlands.
Related Content

You make NHPR possible.

NHPR is nonprofit and independent. We rely on readers like you to support the local, national, and international coverage on this website. Your support makes this news available to everyone.

Give today. A monthly donation of $5 makes a real difference.