Three of Lehigh Valley's health care organizations are prepared to deal with the Ebola epidemic.

Spokespersons for Lehigh Valley Health Network, St. Luke's University Health Network and Sacred Heart Health Care System said that policies are in place to deal with Ebola.

A spokesperson for Lehigh Valley International Airport could not be reached in time for the newspaper deadline for The Press.

"Our hospital has done several things in preparing for Ebola or any other emerging infectious disease," Terry Burger, RN, Lehigh Valley Health Network's director of infection control, said.

"St. Luke's University Health Network is following the CDC [United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] guidelines regarding Ebola protocols," said Denise Rader, St. Luke's University Health Network director, network media relations.

"The Sacred Heart Hospital multi-disciplinary team met to discuss and prepare safe policies and procedures to safely manage a patient with suspected Ebola," said Barbara J. Wood, Sacred Heart Health Care System spokesperson.

Thomas Eric Duncan, a Liberian diagnosed with Ebola virus last month, died last week. Duncan was the first person to be diagnosed with Ebola in the U.S.

Nina Pham, a nurse at Dallas' Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital, who treated Duncan, contracted Ebola. Pham is the first person said to have contracted the virus in the U.S. Pham was reported to have worn protective gear when in contact with Duncan.

According to the CDC website, as of Oct. 10, based on reports from the World Health Organization updates based on information reported by the Ministries of Health, there are 8,400 Ebola cases, 4,656 laboratory-confirmed Ebola cases and 4,033 Ebola-related deaths.

The 2014 Ebola epidemic is the largest in history, affecting many nations in West Africa.

At Kennedy, Washington Dulles, Chicago O'Hare, Newark Liberty and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta, airports, Department of Homeland Security Customs and Border Protection agents are to screen travelers from Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, taking their temperature and observing them for other Ebola symptoms.

Spokespersons for St. Luke's University Health Network and Lehigh Valley Health Network (LVHN) said both institutions are taking measures over and above CDC guidelines.

"St. Luke's has an inter-disciplinary team which is meeting weekly to ensure that the hospitals and outpatient areas are prepared to screen and to care for patients with Ebola," Rader said.

"Ebola education has been distributed to our employees. We also closely follow recommendations from the CDC and Pennsylvania Department of Health.

"Our plan includes triaging patients in the ER. Our emergency room staff upon accessing patients with the possible Ebola symptoms such as fever, headache, and diarrhea will also ask if that patient came from a western African country or an area where there is Ebola transmission. We've also developed plans to safely manage the patient with suspected Ebola in both the inpatient and outpatient hospital settings," Wood said.

Burger listed LVHN's Ebola preparedness response:

Educational materials prepared and distributed across the Network [LVHN] include;

· Signage prepared and distributed;

· Clinical guidelines distributed to all providers;

· Supplies stockpiled;

· Comprehensive Ebola policy developed;

· Ongoing education provided;

· Guidance provided for appropriate personal protective attire and procedures for donning and doffing equipment distributed and demonstrated (to prevent transmission);

· Multiple educational outreach in-services provided;

· Initial screening and surveillance guidelines established and communicated (early identification);

· Identified isolation locations (containment);

· Reinforced communication guidelines; and

· Collaborated with a multi-disciplinary group when preparing guidelines and worked within auspices of Emergency Preparedness.