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LePage Steps up Monitoring for Ebola in Maine

U.S. Centers for Disease Control

AUGUSTA, Maine - Maine Gov. Paul LePage says the state has stepped up its monitoring to ensure that any cases of Ebola that might turn up here are handled safely. He says the elevated vigilance is in response to the spread of the disease in Texas, and the risk that travelers could bring it to Maine.

"Maine is part of the global community and our beautiful state attracts people from all over the world," LePage says, in a statement. "This brings many good things to our shores. However, it also raises the occasional risk of certain challenges, in this case, the possibility of a traveler unintentionally and unknowingly carrying an infectious disease."

LePage says the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention will lead the formation of a group made up of members of several state agencies, including the Maine  Emergency Management Agency, to coordinate with federal agencies, such as the Transportation Security Administration.

"We have taken additional steps to ensure to the best of our ability that any suspected cases in Maine will be reported immediately and effective action taken to the extent the law allows to minimize all risk to the public health and safety," LePage says.

The governor says if a suspected case should surface in Maine, Maine CDC Director Dr. Sheila Pinette will immediately notify him and other state officials, and provide an investigative team to work with the local health provider.

LePage says the Maine CDC's epidemiology team is making sure that proper procedures are followed in managing and containing any suspected or confirmed cases. He says Maine already has a mandatory reporting system and established protocols in place for handling outbreaks of infectious disease.

No cases of the Ebola virus have shown up in Maine. A patient who had been ordered held for 24-hour observation at Maine Medical Center earlier this week tested negative for the disease and was released Tuesday.

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Barbara grew up in Biddeford, Maine. She earned a master’s in public administration from Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government and a bachelor’s in English from the University of Southern Maine.