Ebola prevention in L.A. County: Officials will outline what's being done

A Nigerian port health official, left, uses a thermometer to screen an unidentified Ukrainian crew member, right, for Ebola on the deck of a cargo ship at the Apapa port in Lagos, Nigeria.

Oct. 7, 2014 7:56 AM PT

As U.S. officials continue to ramp up their response to history’s worst outbreak of Ebola, Los Angeles County public health officials today are expected to be asked to explain what local measures are in place to guard against the threat.

“It is vital that we have the information available to the public on preventive measures being taken by county departments to protect our residents from a potential outbreak,” Supervisor Michael Antonovich said in a statement.

The outbreak in West Africa is suspected of killing approximately 3,400 people, and there is no medical cure for Ebola.

Though the closest Ebola case is thousands of miles away in Texas, authorities across the U.S. aren’t taking any chances.

On Monday, President Obama announced the government is developing additional screening protocols for passengers in the U.S. and overseas to control infectious diseases like Ebola. In Texas, Gov. Rick Perry announced a task force to deal with infectious diseases and said the government should tighten screening procedures at U.S. points of entry.

Health officials say Ebola is spread only through physical contact with a symptomatic individual or their bodily fluids -- not through the air.

In his statement, Antonovich said he also plans to press public health officials about how they are coordinating with state and federal agencies.

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