Michigan Health Officials 'Directly Monitoring' Worker For Ebola

LANSING (WWJ) - State health officials are directly monitoring a health care worker for symptoms of Ebola at a higher level.

That's according to Jennifer Smith, with the Michigan Department of Community Health, who says — for the first time —  they're using stepped-up safety protocols that are reserved for people at higher risk of developing the deadly virus.

It's called "direct active monitoring."

"This individual is have the twice-daily contact with local health officials, but once daily a health official will have visual contact with that individual," said Smith.

The visual contact can be either in person or via Skype, Smith said.

Right now in Michigan there are a total 14 people being monitored for Ebola as a precaution because they have a travel history of being in a country with widespread Ebola.

To protect privacy, health department officials will not give any other information such as where the people are who are being monitored in the state.

MDCH officials will say only the person is "a health care worker who used appropriate personal protective equipment in one of the countries with widespread Ebola transmission."

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, Ebola is spread by contact with infected blood or other body fluids only — and is not an airborne virus.

The CDC says those at highest risk are health care providers caring for Ebola patients and the family and friends in close contact with Ebola patients. Symptoms of Ebola include fever, severe headache, muscle pain, weakness, diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal pain and unexplained bleeding.

Get complete information about Ebola from the CDC at this link.