Indian Time - A Voice from the Eastern Door

The Mohawk Council of Akwesasne (MCA) and the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe (SRMT) have teamed up to create a Communicable Disease Working Group to provide information and respond to questions about Ebola. It is comprised of knowledgeable personnel from both community governments including Emergency Measures, the Emergency Planning Office and the Department of Health. The Working Group has been assembled to share factual and up-to-date information about the disease; such as the fact that Ebola can only be transmitted through contact with INFECTED bodily fluids.

As a cautionary measure, the MCA has also partially activated its Emergency Operations Center (EOC) to allow the Communicable Disease Working Group to meet daily, plan accordingly, obtain factual information and share updates to keep community members informed of any new developments. They are learning as much as they can about Ebola to answer questions from community members; with the most popular one being “What are you doing about Ebola?” To help answer that and other questions, the Working Group has prepared the following responses:

What is Ebola?

Ebola is a virus that does not spread easily; it is not like the flu. It is a severe and often fatal disease in humans and nonhuman primates. It is a rare and deadly disease caused by infection with Ebola virus approximately 2-21 days after exposure. At the present time there is no vaccine and treatment is limited to supportive measures.

Where is Ebola found?

Ebola is found in several African countries. The first Ebola species was discovered in 1976 near the Ebola River in what is now the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Since then, outbreaks have appeared sporadically in Africa.

Where does Ebola originate?

The natural reservoir host of Ebola remains unknown. However, on the basis of available evidence and the nature of similar viruses, researchers believe that the virus is animal-borne with fruit bats being the most likely reservoir.

How is Ebola virus transmitted?

Ebola virus can only be transmitted through contact with infected bodily fluids from humans or animals. Person to person transmission occurs primarily through direct contact with the bodily fluids of someone who is sick with Ebola or died from Ebola, or contact with contaminated materials.

The virus has been found in blood, saliva, semen, urine, stool, vomit, nasal secretions, and tears of a person infected with Ebola. A person with Ebola Virus Disease is communicable as long as the virus remains in the bodily fluids. It has been found in semen up to seven weeks after infection. Persons are not infectious prior to the onset of symptoms. Transmission of Ebola virus from an asymptomatic person during the incubation period has not been reported.

Household transmission is associated with direct care of an ill individual through contact with their bodily fluids, including after death. Transmission to health care providers results due to inadequate or improper use and/or removal of Personal Protected Equipment (PPE). In developing countries, the re-use of non-sterilized needles and syringes can result in infection.

Can Ebola be transmitted through the air?

No. Person-to-person transmission occurs primarily through direct contact with body fluids of an infected person or a person who has died from Ebola. It can also be transmitted from through contact with material contaminated with body fluids of an infected person. Ebola cannot be transmitted through the air.

The Communicable Disease Working Group are currently assisting the Department of Health on making arrangements to conduct its annual Table Top Exercise that will test their Pandemic preparedness in response to any communicable disease; including influenza or any respiratory disease.

Should you have any questions and/or concerns please do not hesitate to contact MCA’s Emergency Measures at (613) 575-2250, Ext. #1030 or SRMT’s Emergency Planning Officer at (518) 358-2272.

If you have any health-related questions, please contact an MCA Community Health Nurse at (613) 575-2341 or SRMT’s Public Health at (518) 358-3141.