UT Arlington Public Health Advisory

The health and safety of the UT Arlington community is always our utmost concern. Please be assured that The University of Texas at Arlington is carefully monitoring developments related to reports of Ebola virus cases in our region and around the world.

This update is part of a multipronged strategy to keep our community well informed and to ensure that everyone understands processes in place to keep us safe. Check www.uta.edu for the most current information available.

There have been no known incidents of Ebola-related illness within the University community. UT Arlington remains in close contact with regional, state, and federal public health officials to ensure that our students, faculty, and staff have the most current information available.

The University follows protocols established by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to ensure a rapid and effective response to potential public health threats. Information about Ebola Virus Disease, symptoms, prevention, and treatment is published on the CDC’s website.

The Centers for Disease Control has emphasized that the Ebola virus is spread only through direct contact with patients who are exhibiting symptoms, contact with infected blood or body fluids of sick patients, or contact with contaminated objects, such as needles. Symptoms appear between 2 and 21 days following exposure.

The virus is not spread through the air, by water, or other distant contact.

Anyone who has traveled outside the United States in the past 21 days — particularly to regions of West Africa affected by the Ebola virus outbreak — and who is experiencing symptoms such as fever, unexplained bleeding, diarrhea, and vomiting that the CDC has associated with the Ebola virus;
Health care workers who have had contact with the blood or body fluids of sick patients;
Anyone who has contact with objects such as clothes, bedding, needles, syringes/sharps, or medical equipment that has been contaminated with the virus.

UT Arlington faculty and staff members should contact their physician or health care provider by telephone to make initial contact.
Remain at home and avoid traveling to campus or to a health care facility until you receive further guidance to minimize risk to others.
UT Arlington students living on campus should contact their Residence Director, available 24 hours a day, seven days a week at 817-690-9349. Students living near campus should call the Student Health Center at 817-272-2771 or their personal physician.
Standard University procedures for employee and student absences will be followed once you are cleared to return to work or class.

What should I do if I have been in contact with someone who has been exposed to symptoms of Ebola Virus Disease?

Call UT Arlington Health Services at 817-272-2771 to report the contact. Health Services staff will route the information to the proper public health agencies and will ensure that appropriate follow-up steps are taken.

I have planned to travel to or from regions affected by the Ebola outbreak. What should I do?

The Centers for Disease Control and the U.S. State Department have released statements advising against non-essential travel to Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria, and Sierra Leone due to the Ebola virus outbreak in those countries. More information is available at wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/notices.
UT Arlington students, faculty, and staff requesting to travel to the listed countries or surrounding West African countries should submit a Request to Travel to Restricted Regions to the UT Arlington Office of International Education, per the University’s standard policies. The University’s International Oversight Committee will review all requests carefully on a case-by-case basis.

For more information, contact the Office of International Education at 817-272-2355 or visit www.uta.edu/oie/.

UT Arlington is committed to keeping you informed about public health issues. Further updates will be provided as information is available.