Ocean City School District Attempts to Calm Parents' Fears About Ebola, Enterovirus

Ocean City Superintendent of Schools Dr. Kathleen Taylor told parents not to be overly concerned about the threat of enterovirus and ebola at last week’s school board meeting, the Ocean City Gazette reports.

She told parents “it’s normal” for viruses to be going around this time of year, and “the most important thing is to keep calm.”

Taylor directed parents to the school district’s website for information on how to protect their children from viruses.

The two viruses have been causing a scare this year.

There have been three confirmed cases of Ebola in the United States since Sept. 30, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

There has been one reported death linked to the disease.

Two students from Africa who were scheduled to begin classes in a Burlington County school district this week are currently being kept home for a week for precautionary reasons, despite not exhibiting any symptoms.

Enterovirus is confirmed to have caused respiratory illness in more than 40 states. As of Oct. 15, New Jersey had a total of 17 confirmed cases in nine counties, including Mercer.

The death of 4-year-old Eli Waller in Mercer County was the first death in the nation that has been linked to the virus, but health officials say he went to bed with no symptoms, according to ABC News.