Nathan Deal to form Ebola response team in Georgia

An ambulance carrying Amber Joy Vinson, the second health care worker to be diagnosed with Ebola in Texas, arrives at Emory University Hospital on Wednesday, Oct. 15, 2014, in Atlanta. Vinson was one of the nurses who cared for Thomas Eric Duncan, who died at the Dallas hospital last week of the Ebola virus. (AP Photo/David Tulis) An ambulance carrying Amber Joy Vinson arrives at Emory University Hospital in Atlanta.

Credit: Jim Galloway

Credit: Jim Galloway

An ambulance carrying Amber Joy Vinson, the second health care worker to be diagnosed with Ebola in Texas, arrives at Emory University Hospital on Wednesday, Oct. 15, 2014, in Atlanta. Vinson was one of the nurses who cared for Thomas Eric Duncan, who died at the Dallas hospital last week of the Ebola virus. (AP Photo/David Tulis) An ambulance carrying Amber Joy Vinson arrives at Emory University Hospital in Atlanta.

As the specter of Ebola threatens to shake up Georgia's top political races, Gov. Nathan Deal said today he would sign an executive order to create a team to craft the state's response to the deadly virus.

The governor said the team would assess state health and emergency management procedures and devise recommendations for Georgia's health workers and political leaders.

“Rest assured, Georgia is taking the threat of the Ebola virus seriously," Deal said. “The creation of this team is an additional step in the state’s response to this disease and will further our efforts to ensure the safety and quality of life for our citizens."

The team includes emergency response officials, Georgia National Guard members, Department of Community Health physicians, infectious disease experts and local and state politicians. It also involves representatives from Emory University Hospital, which has become the go-to treatment center for patients infected with the virus.

The names of the team members will be released tomorrow.