Returning travellers from three West African countries asked to contact Ottawa Public Health upon arrival

Ottawa Public Health (OPH) is asking that all persons who have recently travelled from the West African countries of Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone or who believe they have been in contact with someone with Ebola Virus Disease (Ebola) to call OPH at 613-580-6744 (TTY: 613-580-9656 )within 12 hours of arriving in Ottawa for confidential assessment and monitoring.

The phone line is accessible 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Returning travellers who are residents of the Eastern Ontario Health Unit and Renfrew County and District Health Unit are also asked to contact OPH for assessment and monitoring.

There has never been a confirmed case of Ebola in Canada and the risk to Ottawa residents remains low. As part of proactive efforts to minimize any risk to health care workers and the public, all returning travellers are asked to contact OPH within 12 hours upon arrival in Ottawa.

Such notification will enable OPH to support travellers from Ebola-affected areas with advice and, if needed, early identification of symptoms and diagnosis of Ebola in order to provide the best medical care. Through early identification of any possible exposure to Ebola, OPH is also aiming to reduce the risk of exposure for others in the community.

It is important to remember that Ebola does not spread easily from person to person. It is only spread by contact with infected body fluids and not through casual contact. If a person becomes infected, symptoms appear in two to 21 days. Infected persons are not contagious to others until symptoms develop and contagiousness increases as illness progresses.

For information regarding travel notices, please visit the Public Health Agency of Canada Travel Health Notices website. For further information on Ebola, visit the following websites:

 * 
[
 Public Health Ontario
](http://www.publichealthontario.ca/en/BrowseByTopic/InfectiousDiseases/Pages/Viral-Hemorrhagic-Fevers.aspx#.VCwpPfldWSo)

 * 
[
 Public Health Agency of Canada
](http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/id-mi/vhf-fvh/ebola-eng.php)

 * 
[
 World Health Organization
](http://www.who.int/csr/disease/ebola/en/)

 * 
[
 U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
](http://www.cdc.gov/vhf/ebola/)

Local information is available at OttawaPublicHealth.ca , or by calling Ottawa Public Health at 613-580-6744 (TTY: 613-580-9656 ). You can also connect with Ottawa Public Health on Facebook and Twitter (@OttawaHealth).