All over the United States, people have been panicking about the widely contagious Ebola disease. It all started when a visiting Liberian citizen came to Dallas, Texas, and appeared to have symptoms of this disease. Precautions were immediately taken by officials to make sure there were no additional contaminated areas. About 100 more people in Dallas were monitored for Ebola, while a patient in Washington, D.C. who recently visited Nigeria was hospitalized on Friday and monitored for the disease as well.

“Hearing about Ebola coming into the United States is very frightening. It’s sad to see how its spreading so quickly and how there isn’t a strong cure for it yet.” freshman Jordan Armor says.

Ebola is a rare and deadly disease caused by infection with one of the Ebola virus strains. Ebola can cause disease in not only humans, but also in animals such as monkeys, gorillas and chimpanzees. You can prevent Ebola by always washing your hands or using hand sanitizer. It is also very important to avoid other body fluids and coming in contact with another person’s personal items. Symptoms can appear anywhere from two to 21 days after exposure to Ebola, but the average is eight to ten days.

Signs and Symptoms:

• Severe headache
• Muscle pain
• Fever greater than 101.5°F
• Vomiting
• Stomach pain
• Bleeding or bruising

“I am a bit terrified about Ebola entering the United States. I am hoping that Ebola does not continue to spread or reach Miami. I will definitely be more sanitary than before to avoid getting sick in any way,” freshman Rozalyn Franklin said.

Last week, there was an Ebola scare in Miami. A boy had traveled to Miami with similar symptoms, however, after many tests and treatments, this was disregarded as a false alarm. The United States now has mandatory temperature checks in a few airports to prevent Ebola from entering the country. Make sure to stay healthy and sanitary in order to be protected from these types of illnesses.

Update: The Liberian patient with Ebola died on Oct. 8.