The Ebola virus, with its terrifying symptoms and high mortality rate, evokes a dreadful fascination. But despite some well-publicized missteps in the way the disease has been managed elsewhere, it is unlikely to become the next big health crisis on the Vineyard.

Still, health officials here are right to take the threat seriously. Because of its long gestation period — up to three weeks — Ebola can hide in plain sight. Though unlikely, it is not impossible to imagine an infected visitor unaware of his or her condition arriving on the Island and falling ill. The Gazette reports in this issue that Martha’s Vineyard Hospital has brought in supplies of protective clothing and held training sessions earlier this week for its employees.

More likely, it will be another disease — perhaps yet unknown — that will become the next big pandemic. As the world becomes more crowded, outbreaks of zoonotic diseases, that is, ones that skip from animals to humans, have increased in frequency. Globalization has made it more likely that diseases once isolated geographically will quickly spread around the world. And new strains of influenza that, unlike Ebola, can be transmitted through the air pose perhaps the greatest risk.

Earlier this month, local health officials from across the Island conducted a half-day flu clinic using the protocol for a pandemic situation. People arrived in their cars to remote locations where they were screened before being administered a vaccination. The idea is to provide an orderly process that doesn’t result in crowds where infections could more easily spread.

It is good to know that local health officials are thinking ahead of the need to address a sudden outbreak of disease, but preventing a pandemic is a responsibility we all share. If there is any bright spot in the horrors of Ebola, it is that it has brought the issue of disease control into sharp focus.

As the flu season approaches, remember that symptoms can be contagious. If you find yourself coughing, sneezing or feeling aches and pains, stay home and recover.