In light of several cases of Ebola reported in the United States, State University of New York (SUNY) and Binghamton University officials are preparing plans to address any possible threats from the deadly virus.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s General Ebola Preparedness Plan includes designating eight hospitals to treat potential patients, airport monitoring and unannounced preparedness drills at hospitals. Building upon this, SUNY Chancellor Nancy Zimpher sent a memo to all 64 SUNY schools this past Friday requiring further precautionary measures.

Upstate University Hospital in Syracuse and Stony Brook University Hospital are now part of a statewide network of first-responder hospitals. The chancellor has also expanded the SUNY Ebola Working Group, which prepares the schools for an outbreak. This expansion includes instating campus specialists in medical and emergency management, public health, international programs and student services, plus a representative as a point-of-contact for each school.

In addition, all SUNY campus-sponsored travel to countries with federal travel warnings has been prohibited. This includes Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone.

“This committee will convene regularly, monitor the situation locally and beyond and will work to ensure that [students] have access to the latest available information,” Zimpher wrote in the memo.

According to Johann Fiore-Conte, BU director of Health and Counseling Services, Ebola is a major health concern because of the number of ways it can be contracted.

“It is spread through direct contact with blood or body fluids (including but not limited to urine, saliva, sweat, feces, vomit and semen) of an infected person, or with objects like needles and syringes that have been contaminated with the virus,” Fiore-Conte wrote in an email. “Transmission can also occur through sexual contact. Ebola virus has been found in semen for up to three months.”

Director of Emergency Management at BU David Hubeny, also the University’s point-of-contact for the Ebola Working Group, said he was working with local health officials, and that the University has prepared guidelines for how to respond to a variety of critical incidents, including a disease outbreak, weather emergency or school evacuation.

“Binghamton University maintains a Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan (CEMP) to ensure that the structure, policies and procedures are appropriate for managing a critical incident, regardless of the nature of the event,” Hubeny wrote in an email.

In the case of Ebola, Hubeny said that the University is preparing to follow the Communicable Disease Plan which was originally developed a decade ago in response to the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) outbreak in Asia.

“The Communicable Disease plan is a document that provides a framework for all further planning related to contagious diseases. The document is intended to ensure that Binghamton University is prepared to implement an effective response before a pandemic arrives, throughout a response if an outbreak occurs and after the pandemic is over,” Hubeny wrote.

Fiore-Conte noted that Decker Student Health Services Center (DSHSC) and Harpur’s Ferry responders are also receiving training with guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on how to deal with a suspect case and how to isolate a patient before the disease is fully incubated.

“Since late summer, the DSHSC staff has been receiving weekly updates on the global situation and training on procedures and protocols, including isolation procedures and donning of personal protective equipment,” Fiore-Conte wrote.

Andrea Korn, a sophomore majoring in integrative neuroscience, said she isn’t worried about the virus.

“I don’t think it’s an immediate threat to us, especially not in this area,” Korn said. “There are definitely more people looking out for us than there would be given another situation. I trust the University, I trust that they would handle it responsibly and in the best interest of the students. It’s their priority; it’s their obligation to do.”

Hubeny said that, overall, the University’s plans are constantly being updated and revised as campus officials learn more about potential threats.

“We continue to enhance this plan, with the goal that it be comprehensive and easy to implement,” Hubeny wrote. “As with all emergency plans, the document is never ‘done.’ It is reviewed and revised as new information becomes available.”