A cross-sectional survey study was conducted in Winchester, Virginia from August 2016 to December 2016. The survey was distributed to patients in the waiting area of a clinic or pharmacy. The survey was comprised of questions on: demographics (4), knowledge (9) and attitudes (3). Out of the nine knowledge related questions, participants with a score of four or higher were considered to have good knowledge of Ebola. Descriptive and inferential statistics (t-test and logistic regression) were employed using SPSS v23. A p-value of <0.05 was considered significant.

A total of 375 participants completed the questionnaire. Internet served as the main source of Ebola information (72%). 11% of our participants had good knowledge of Ebola virus. People who received graduate degree/professional degree/PhD were more likely to have a good knowledge of Ebola compared to those who had a high-school degree (OR=6.62, p<0.01). A majority of the participants strongly agreed that Ebola virus is a serious condition (p<0.001) and communities should actively participate in controlling the risk of Ebola (p<0.001).

Knowledge about Ebola virus was poor among the study participants. A large percentage of individuals surveyed feel their community should be engaged in controlling the spread of Ebola virus. Educating the community can bolster engagement and encourage proper preparedness, a crucial step in preventing the spread of Ebola.