Sarah Okeson

News-Leader

Springfield doctor Gil Mobley donned a protective suit at the Atlanta airport Thursday to protest how federal health authorities are handling the threat of Ebola.

Mobley said his suit and gear were taken away in Atlanta after he boarded the Delta flight. He said he had taken off the protective gear — white coveralls with "CDC is Lying" written on the back, hood, mask, goggles, gloves and boots — once he reached the gate.

"They gave me the option of confiscating my equipment or not flying," Mobley said.

Mobley's flight comes two days after a man in Texas was diagnosed with Ebola. Mobley said the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is sugarcoating the threat of Ebola in the United States.

"With 10,000 people flying out of West Africa daily, it's only a matter of time until all corners of the world are exposed," Mobley said. "Once it devours Third World countries, the U.S. will be importing these cases daily. Eventually the clusters will overwhelm even the most advanced countries' ability to isolate and quarantine all those exposed."

"The CDC needs to be honest with us."

As many as 100 people may have had contact with the Ebola patient in Texas, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services. Humans spread the virus through contact with blood or other bodily fluids of an infected person, as well as exposure to objects like contaminated needles, according to the CDC, and Ebola is only contagious when patients begin showing symptoms.

Mobley said he flew from Guatemala to Atlanta and was only asked if he had tobacco or alcohol.

"The CDC is asleep at the wheel," Mobley said. "... It's going to be bad, and I want to make sure that this conversation is happening that this could get out of control in the United States."

Mobley runs a Springfield clinic that handles workers' compensation cases. He also has been a medical cannabis advocate in Missouri and Washington state.

The CDC director, Thomas Frieden, has said there is no danger of the sort of widespread outbreak of Ebola that has been seen in West Africa.

"This is the first case of Ebola diagnosed in the U.S. and the first strain of this Ebola diagnosed outside of Africa," Frieden said. "I have no doubt that we will control this case of Ebola, so that it does not spread widely in this country. It is certainly possible that someone who has contact with this patient could develop Ebola. But there is no doubt in my mind that we will stop it here."

Dr. Jim Blaine said the Greene County Medical Society is looking at how to prepare for a possible case of Ebola here.

"We do have a very mobile society, particularly with higher education and the missions," Blaine said.

If patients in Springfield were to get Ebola, they might be taken to a hospital such as the Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha, Nebraska, where a doctor was recently treated for Ebola, Blaine said.

Kendra Findley, the administrator of community health and epidemiology for the Springfield-Greene County Health Department, said the Springfield area is well-prepared for Ebola.

"I feel like the system is already in place to deal with Ebola, just like it's in place to deal with TB or measles or any other infectious disease," Findley said.

Ebola patients are only contagious once they begin showing symptoms, such as fever, diarrhea and vomiting. Ebola does not spread through the air, like measles or the flu.

Mobley said he notified Delta and the Transportation Security Administration of his plans before the flight.

This story uses material from USA Today.

Ebola questions and answers

What are the symptoms?

Initial symptoms include fever, intense weakness, muscle pain, headache and sore throat. These symptoms are followed by vomiting, diarrhea, rash, impaired kidney and liver function and sometimes internal and external bleeding, according to World Health Organization.

Symptoms usually appear 8-10 days after infection, according to the CDC. WHO says lab tests of contaminated individuals find low white blood cell and platelet counts.

How does the virus spread?

The virus is transmitted from wild animals to humans. Humans spread the virus through contact with blood or other body fluids of an infected person, as well as exposure to objects like contaminated needles, according to the CDC.

Ebola is only contagious when patients begin showing symptoms. Infection control measures in place in U.S. hospitals means it's unlikely the virus will spread far, according to infectious disease experts. People most at risk include health workers and family members or others who are in contact with the infected people, according to WHO.

What is the treatment?

Currently, there is no vaccine. Treatment consists only of "supportive therapy," according to the CDC. There are several vaccines being tested. None are available for clinical use.

How deadly is Ebola?

In past outbreaks, up to 90 percent of humans who contract the virus have died. WHO describes Ebola as "one of the world's most virulent diseases."

In the current outbreak, the survival rate has been higher. About 47% survive, according to WHO.

How can Ebola be prevented?

It's unknown what the natural host for Ebola is, but it's believed to be the fruit bat. If an outbreak among animals is suspected, the best practice is to quarantine the animals, cull the infected animals and bury or incinerate the carcasses, according to WHO.

In the current outbreak, most cases are the result of human-to-human transmission, when there is direct contact with bodily fluids, secretions, the mucous membrane or broken skin of an infected person, WHO says.