Possible Ebola exposure leaves 4 in Oregon under monitoring post-travel, officials say

Four people in Oregon are being monitored for the Ebola virus after travel to west African countries that have outbreaks of the disease, public health officials said Thursday.

The Oregon Health Authority has contacted all of the individuals, who traveled to Guinea and Democratic Republic of the Congo, and considers them to be “persons under monitoring,” the agency said in a statement.

All arrived in Oregon from the affected countries earlier this month, officials said, adding that risk to others in the state was low.

“We want to make sure these individuals have the support they need to monitor their health, stay in contact with public health officials and safely get help with medical services if it comes to that,” Richard Leman, the state’s chief medical officer for health security, preparedness and response, said in a statement.

As of Wednesday, Guinea has reported 18 Ebola cases and nine deaths. The outbreak is centered in the southern region of the country. Democratic Republic of Congo has seen 12 cases and six deaths in the eastern part of the country near the border with Uganda.

The outbreaks were limited to small areas in both countries and had not affected large population centers

Still, the Centers for Disease Control has issued warnings for both countries and told people to avoid unnecessary travel.

Public health officials said they were in contact with community-based organizations in Oregon to provide aid to those being monitored in the state.