By Jason Schoonover, Austin Daily Herald

AUSTIN — The Ebola outbreak has widened in West Africa and not yet reached the U.S., but state and local health officials are still watching the situation closely.

Interim Mower County Health and Human Services Director Lisa Kocer updated the Mower County board on the state’s response during Tuesday’s board meeting. While the Minnesota Department of Health is currently saying the risk of the deadly virus spreading to Minnesota is low, it’s something health officials are not taking lightly.

“The state, the federal folks, the CDC, the World Health Organization are taking this very seriously,” Kocer told the board.

State officials are cautioning people to take precautions or avoid travel to West Africa. MDH has been sending out updates to health care providers and has systems in place if a case were to be discovered in Minnesota.