The Ebola virus ravaging West Africa remains unlikely to appear in Minnesota, home to more than 30,000 people of Liberian descent.
Local health officials Sunday repeated earlier assurances that Twin Cities residents are not at risk of contracting the disease from recent immigrants or imported foods and merchandise.
They, and a coalition of religious leaders who organized the information session at Elim Lutheran Church in Robbinsdale, urged that more information and education is needed to combat the stigmatization that has accompanied news of the disease's rampage through Africa.
"There are lots of students going back to school," said Ellen Frerich, refugee health nurse consultant for the Minnesota Department of Health. "We are here to talk about the stigma, the fear and the misinformation about Ebola."
"Ebola is not airborne. It is not airborne," Frerich told the small crowd Sunday. "We do not have Ebola in Minnesota."
Frerich said the death toll continues to mount in West Africa, where many Minnesotans originally from Liberia and other countries still have relatives. She said as of Sept. 7, the death toll was more than 1,200 out of the 4,300 cases.
"Some folks die. Some don't. We don't know why that is," she said.
A couple residents asked if the virus could be transmitted from goods, such as food imported from Africa. Frerich replied that Ebola needs a host to survive. There is no health risk from eating at an African restaurant or buying goods from Africa.
Ebola is spread only through direct contact with infected bodily fluids. If someone has the virus but is not sick, they cannot pass the virus to another person, Frerich said. The likelihood of an Ebola virus case in Minnesota is slim, but the widespread outbreak still feels close to home for many Minnesota families.
"It is our job to understand how the virus works," Frerich said. "And as a community we can face this together."
Karen Zamora • 612-673-4647
