Ten Key “Facts” About Ebola: True or False?

1. Restricting travel from Ebola-outbreak countries to the United States is the best way to prevent the spread of Ebola to our shores.

FALSE

There is no evidence that restricting travel will prevent spread of Ebola to the U.S. Exposed and infected persons might reach our country undetected and thereby escape essential public health monitoring, which could worsen transmission risk. The key to controlling this epidemic is to stop Ebola at its source in West Africa.

2. Ebola is not contagious until a person is symptomatic; the average incubation period for Ebola is 8 to 10 days.

TRUE

Symptoms may be very subtle in the early stages of disease when viral loads are low. While nearly all patients will become symptomatic from 2 to 21 days after expo…