A year later, Ebola fears fade but worries remain

When Ebola surfaced last year in a Liberian man visiting Texas, it set off alarms across the globe. Minnesota's Liberian community watched and grieved as the epidemic devastated their homeland. State officials went on high alert, monitoring travelers to and from Minnesota, worried the disease would find its way here. It never did.

The situation is vastly improved from late last fall when nearly 1,000 people a week were contracting Ebola in West Africa. Still, some survivors suffer from headaches, weakness, skin infections, sight and hearing loss. Equally worrisome, researchers now say the Ebola virus may need to be considered a sexually transmitted disease.

MPR News health reporter Lorna Benson covered Minnesota's response last year to the outbreak. Click on the audio bar to hear her talk about Ebola and the long-term concerns that remain.