In ongoing efforts to provide the latest information to healthcare providers and Maine citizens regarding guideline updates and developments regarding preparedness and response to potential suspected cases of Ebola, the Maine Center for Disease Control announced the launch of a new website, www.maine.gov/ebola.

The publicly facing website includes descriptions of Ebola, how it is transmitted and other important information about the disease.

Easy-to-understand fact sheets and answers to frequently asked questions are also available and can be downloaded.

The pages for healthcare providers offer the latest in U.S. CDC guidance on a variety of topics and will serve as a repository of information for those organizations and their staff as well as first responders. Maine CDC’s Health Alert Network can also be accessed from this site.

“It is important for Mainers to know that there are no cases of Ebola in our state and that the only way Ebola can be transmitted is when an individual has direct contact with blood or bodily fluids from a person who is showing symptoms. It is not an airborne disease,” said Dr. Sheila Pinette, director of the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

The website will be updated regularly, Pinette said, to keep the public informed.

“We encourage healthcare providers and the public to refer to this website for valuable information and guidance from the U.S. CDC,” she said. “The best way for each and every person to stay prepared is to be informed.”