3. What is Ebola?
• One of the most deadly viruses on earth.
Named for the Ebola River in the DRC, where
the first outbreak occurred in 1976.
• Infectious, marked by fever and severe internal
bleeding: “hemorrhagic fever.”
• Long incubation period of 8-21 days. Early
symptoms include fever, muscle weakness, sore
throat and headaches.
• Transmitted through contact with blood or body
fluids from an infected person.

4. Where does it come from?
• Natural hosts are thought to be fruit bats living
in tropical African forests.
• Humans get it from the blood, organs or bodily
fluids of infected wild animals: “bush meat”
(chimps, bats, antelope, porcupines) found ill or
dead in the rainforest.
• Once in the population, transmitted through
close contact with the individual, burial
ceremonies, items saturated with blood.

5. Ebola: Who is at Risk?
Health Care Workers Family Members
Ambulance Drivers Burial Team Members

6. Sources of Export of Ebola
Local
Nationals
International
Travelers
Returning Volunteers & Health
Care Workers

9. Top Ten U.S. Google Searches of 2014
• 1.Robin Williams
• 2.World Cup
• 3.Ebola
• 4.Malaysia Airlines
• 5.Flappy Bird
• 6.ALS Ice Bucket Challenge
• 7.ISIS
• 8.Ferguson
• 9.Frozen
• 10.Ukraine

11. Department Name Goes Here
US Senator John Cornyn Texas Congressman John Zerwas

14. Rules of Crisis Communications
Know your facts.
Put the facts in writing. Create graphics. Put
together an online media kit.
Use the best experts you can find as your
spokespeople and COACH them!
Be selective about the media you talk to.
Avoid press conferences with “no information.”

21. Dr. Tom Ksiazek’s Outbreak Experience
1977 – H1N1 Reemergence in Asia
1989--1990 – Reston Ebola virus, U.S. and Philippines
1993 – Hantavirus Pulmonary syndrome, Southwest U.S.
1994 – Machupo virus, Bolivia
1995 – Ebola in Kikwit, Zaire
1996 - Ebola Reston, Alice Texas and Philippines
1999 – Nipah virus, Malaysia
2000 - Rift Valley Fever, Saudi Arabia and Yemen
2000 - Ebola, Uganda
2003 – SARS
2005 – Marburg , Uige, Angola
2007 – Ebola Zaire, Luebo, DRC
2007/8 – Bundibugyo (fifth Ebola virus), Uganda
2008--Marburg in travelers from U.S and Netherlands,
Queen Elizabeth Park, Uganda
2008 – LuJo virus, Zambia and South Africa
2008 – Ebola Reston virus in pigs, Philippines
2007--2010 – Marburg virus studies (bats), Africa
2014 – Ebola virus, Sierra Leone, West Africa
August 11 – September 25, 2014

22. Dr. Tom Geisbert

23. Dr. James Le Duc

24. Dos and Don’ts of Media Relations
1. Never do an interview “on the fly.”
2. Get information prior to doing the interview:
Who is the reporter? When is your deadline?
What is the story about? Who else are you talking to?
When will it run/air?
3. Always prepare your key messages & prepare your messenger
4. Never speculate
5. Never go off the record
6. If you don’t know the answer, admit it, offer to find out the answer,
and follow-up
7. Don’t feel the need to fill silence
8. Use notes
9. Never ask to see a story before it runs/airs
10. Remember that anything you say can and might be used against
you.