Despite the fact that the United States currently has no active Ebola cases, Modesto Junior College hopes to remind the community that the Ebola epidemic is still thriving in West Africa with a panel discussion on Wednesday.

“I think we’ve all seen a lot of information on national media in previous months and it’s pretty much died out now. If we don’t have someone infected in the United States, then we don’t care,” said MJC professor emeritus Richard Anderson. “We want to keep Ebola in people’s minds because more than 17,000 now have Ebola in West Africa.”

In a panel entitled, “The Ebola Virus: What We Need to Know; How to Prepare for It,” the Science Colloquium has lined up representatives including Stanislaus County Health Services Agency epidemiologist Leepao Khang, Memorial Medical Center infection control officer Kathleen Dinges, and MJC microbiology professor Erynn Lucas to examine the Ebola threat and local responses.

“Dinges will talk about the special preparations that are in place if an Ebola patient ever came to Modesto,” said Anderson. “The panel will also address the question regarding whether health workers should be quarantined, which is a big issue on a lot of people’s minds.”

The free event will take place at 3 p.m. on Wednesday in the Science Community Center, Room 115 on West Campus. There is a $2 charge for on campus parking without a permit.