WASHINGTON — At least one university in our area has suspended study and research programs in West Africa because of the recent Ebola outbreak.

Georgetown University has instituted a temporary ban on travel by students, faculty and staff to Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone — the areas hard hit by the Ebola outbreak.

The Centers for Disease Control has urged all Americans to avoid nonessential travel to the three African nations in the midst of the health crisis.

Georgetown is also reassessing a scheduled to trip to Ghana — also in West Africa — by a small number of individuals in the School of Nursing and Health Studies.

Currently, the University of Maryland, College Park has no programs in the West African nations hit hard by Ebola, but there are Maryland students in four other African nations — Ghana, Morrocco, Mozambique and South Africa.

University spokesman Lee Tune says the school is closely monitoring the Ebola crisis.

While also closely watching the disease outbreak, Howard University officials say its study programs in Nigeria are being fully implemented.

Officials at George Washington and George Mason universities, and the Catholic University of America say they have no programs in the Ebola-stricken West African nations.

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