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Information for Australians About
Ebola
The risk to Australians of Ebola remains low, with no cases in Australia to date.
Australia has a robust border protection system and public health authorities are
closely monitoring people who may have been exposed to the disease overseas.
Infection control procedures in Australian hospitals are first rate.
The following information answers commonly asked questions about Ebola.
How great is the risk to Australians from the Ebola outbreak in West
Africa?
The risk of Ebola spreading to the Australian public is very low.
No case of Ebola has yet been recorded in Australia, although a number of people
have been tested.
Australia has a robust border protection system and public health authorities are
closely monitoring people who may have been exposed to the disease overseas.
If a case is detected, Australian hospitals and health authorities are ready to act with
strict and well-rehearsed infection control procedures and public health follow-up
measures to ensure the disease is contained.
Is Ebola highly infectious?
Unlike diseases like tuberculosis or measles, Ebola is not an airborne virus. It can
only be spread by direct contact between broken skin or mucous membranes and the
blood or body fluids of an infected person or animal.
It cannot be caught by breathing air in proximity to a person with Ebola.
What are the symptoms?
The first symptom of the disease is usually a fever, along with muscle aches,
headache and fatigue. Later symptoms include vomiting and diarrhoea, headaches and
confusion, bruising, a rash, a sore throat or cough and prostration. Some cases
progress to multi-organ failure with internal and external bleeding. Between 50 and
90 per cent of cases are fatal.
How long does it take to find out whether a person is in fact carrying
Ebola?
The period between exposure to the virus and developing symptoms (the incubation
period) ranges from two days to a maximum of 21 days. It usually takes eight to 10
days to appear.
After a person develops a fever, a specific test for Ebola can be performed by a
laboratory with results in four hours.
Are other passengers at risk if they have travelled on a plane with
someone who had no symptoms but is now a suspected Ebola case?
The risk is very low (see Question 2). Importantly, Ebola can only be caught from a
person after they have developed symptoms. Even then, the disease can only be
spread to you via direct contact with body fluids, such as blood, sweat, saliva, urine,
or semen.
Can Ebola be spread on objects such as doorknobs or toilet seats?
Ebola in body fluids such as blood can survive outside the body for some time, so it is
possible to catch it via blood, mucous, urine, vomit or faeces on surfaces, needles and
even bedding. The blood and bodily fluids of an infected person are also highly
infectious for several days after death.
In all cases, however, transmission will only occur if infected body fluids make
contact with the healthy person’s eyes, mouth, mucous membranes or broken skin.
Can Ebola be spread through water, food or mosquitoes?
Ebola cannot be transmitted in water. All food that is produced or purchased in
Australia is safe to eat. The only known risk from food is “bushmeat” – meat from
wild animals in some areas of Africa, which is not properly cooked.
There is no evidence that mosquitoes or other insects can carry the virus.
What can we do to protect ourselves if Ebola is found in Australia?
Monitoring and early detection are extremely important to prevent the disease
spreading. If a person in Australia develops Ebola, all people who have had close
contact with him or her will be traced.
Early intervention and intense supportive care can be life-saving.
Ebola can be killed with hospital-grade disinfectants, such as household bleach.
Regular washing of hands with soap and water or disinfectant is another effective way
to protect against infection.
The rapid spread of Ebola in West Africa was fuelled by factors such as poor health
care infrastructure and cultural practices, including contact with bodies of the
deceased before they are buried. These factors are not present in Australia.
Used correctly, Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) including gloves, face masks,
goggles and cover-all plastic gowns can protect health workers dealing with Ebola
cases.
Are Australian hospitals and health authorities ready to protect us
from an outbreak here?
Hospitals and public health authorities are ready to respond in the event of a case in
Australia.
Doctors and nurses from designated hospitals in all states and territories have been
fully trained to manage and treat Ebola cases.
We have detailed and extensive preparations in place, which are being regularly
reviewed.
In the event of an Ebola case or outbreak, national plans for health emergencies may
be activated. These plans involve very close coordination between all states and
territories and the Commonwealth, and with health care providers, to ensure that
correct procedures are followed at every stage and the public is informed and
protected.
How many people from Ebola-affected countries arrive in Australia?
Typically, less than 20 people arrive in Australia each week from the Ebola-affected
countries of Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea.
Australia began screening travellers from these countries on 9 August 2014 – the first
country to do so.
What has the Australian Government done to reduce the chance of
Ebola coming to Australia?
Stronger border controls are now being put in place. Anyone arriving in Australia who
is considered a risk will be temperature screened and if they have a fever, taken to a
designated Ebola treatment hospital.
All incoming passengers will receive information about the early signs of Ebola, and
how to seek help if they need it. All passengers with any risk of contact with Ebola
are advised to protect themselves and others by monitoring their health for the next 21
days.
The Department of Immigration announced on October 28 it would temporarily
suspend assessment of visa applications for citizens of Ebola-affected countries,
which means they cannot enter Australia.
Citizens of other countries, including Australians, who have visited the affected areas
will be carefully assessed.
What is Australia doing to help other countries that are affected by
Ebola?
The Australian Government initially provided $18 million to international efforts to
fight the Ebola outbreak in West Africa. On November 5, the Government announced
that its contribution to the global response would increase to around $42 million.
Australia is now:
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contracting a health service provider to manage and run a 100-bed Ebola
treatment facility as part of the United Kingdom’s operations in Sierra Leone
(~$20 million)
providing $2 million to enable RedR Australia to provide technical, non-frontline support to the United Nations effort in west Africa
providing $2 million to assist countries in our region prepare for Ebola
In addition, a team of 20 clinical health workers has been fully trained ready for
deployment if there is an outbreak of Ebola in our region and Australia’s assistance is
needed.
Could Australian animals become infected with Ebola?
There is no Ebola virus in Australia in animals or people. With Australia’s tough
quarantine laws which prevent animals from coming into the country without
undergoing quarantine, the only way the disease could come in is with an infected
person.
If there is a case of Ebola in this country, animal health authorities may be consulted
to assess the risk that any animals they have contacted may also be infected.
The situation in Africa is different. Ebola is present in wild populations of
chimpanzees, gorillas, fruit bats, forest antelope and porcupines. It has spread to
humans because people have handled and/or eaten dead or infected animals, without
properly cooking the meat.