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Texas healthcare worker diagnosed with Ebola Second person in isolation as Texas healthcare worker diagnosed with Ebola
(about 1 hour later)
A Texas healthcare worker who provided care for Thomas Duncan, the first patient to be diagnosed with Ebola outside Africa, has tested positive for the deadly virus, officials have said. A Texas healthcare worker who provided care for Thomas Eric Duncan, the first patient to be given a diagnosis of Ebola outside Africa, has tested positive for the deadly virus, officials have said.
The worker at Texas Health Presbyterian hospital in Dallas reported a low-grade fever on Friday night and was isolated and referred for testing, the state’s department of health services said. The preliminary test result was received late on Saturday. The worker is in isolation at the Texas Health Presbyterian hospital in Dallas. At a Sunday morning press conference, it was confirmed that a close contact of the healthcare worker is in preliminary isolation.
The unnamed worker had provided care for Duncan, who died on Wednesday after being diagnosed with Ebola last month, while in the US. Dallas County judge Clay Jenkins said that the healthcare worker who has been given a diagnosis of Ebola was a “heroic person who provided care for Mr Duncan” but did not release his or her name.
Dr Dan Varga, of Texas Health Presbyterian hospital in Dallas, said the worker had been “following a self-monitoring regimen prescribed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention” (CDC) and that “the entire process from the patient’s self-monitoring to the admission to isolation took less than 90 minutes”.
He added: “The patient’s condition is stable. In addition, a close contact has also been proactively placed in isolation. The caregiver and the family have requested total privacy, so we can’t discuss any more details of the situation.”
Dr Varga added that the hospital was not taking any other emergency patients. Answering questions, he said the healthcare worker was wearing full protection gear and following all CDC guidelines when he or she made contact with Duncan.
Mike Rawlings, the mayor of Dallas, said: “We heard about this case at midnight and have been working since then to make sure the citizens of Dallas are safe. We believe they are.”
Judge Jenkins said: “I want to stress an important fact. You cannot contract Ebola other than from bodily fluids of a symptomatic Ebola victim. You cannot contract Ebola by walking by people in the street or from contacts who are not symptomatic. There is nothing about this case that changes that basic premise of science.
“And so it’s important that while this is obviously bad news, it is not news that should bring about panic. We have a strategy to monitor this and we will go to that strategy to keep the community safe.”
The healthcare worker reported a low-grade fever on Friday night and was isolated and referred for testing, the state’s department of health services said earlier. The preliminary test result was received late on Saturday. The unnamed worker had provided care for Duncan, who died on Wednesday after being diagnosed with Ebola last month, while in the US.
Dr David Lakey, commissioner of the department of health services, said: “We knew a second case could be a reality, and we’ve been preparing for this possibility. We are broadening our team in Dallas and working with extreme diligence to prevent further spread.”Dr David Lakey, commissioner of the department of health services, said: “We knew a second case could be a reality, and we’ve been preparing for this possibility. We are broadening our team in Dallas and working with extreme diligence to prevent further spread.”
Health officials have interviewed the patient and are identifying any contacts or potential exposures. People who had contact with the healthcare worker after symptoms emerged will be monitored based on the nature of their interactions and the potential they were exposed to the virus, the department said. People who had contact with the healthcare worker after symptoms emerged will be monitored based on the nature of their interactions and the potential they were exposed to the virus, the department said.
Duncan travelled from Liberia to the US on 19 September to join his girlfriend, Louise Troh, the mother of his son, Karsiah.Duncan travelled from Liberia to the US on 19 September to join his girlfriend, Louise Troh, the mother of his son, Karsiah.
After falling ill a few days later, Duncan was initially sent home from hospital, despite telling a nurse he had recently travelled from west Africa. He was taken by ambulance to Texas Health Presbyterian on 28 September, where he was admitted and placed in isolation.After falling ill a few days later, Duncan was initially sent home from hospital, despite telling a nurse he had recently travelled from west Africa. He was taken by ambulance to Texas Health Presbyterian on 28 September, where he was admitted and placed in isolation.
He was confirmed to have Ebola two days later.He was confirmed to have Ebola two days later.
It is believed Duncan contracted the disease while helping take his landlord’s 19-year-old daughter to an Ebola treatment ward in Monrovia.It is believed Duncan contracted the disease while helping take his landlord’s 19-year-old daughter to an Ebola treatment ward in Monrovia.
He did not declare that he had been in contact with Ebola when he completed a pre-flight questionnaire at Monrovia airport before travelling to the US.He did not declare that he had been in contact with Ebola when he completed a pre-flight questionnaire at Monrovia airport before travelling to the US.
On Wednesday, the White House announced that passengers travelling from west Africa will face additional Ebola screenings at five US airports, amid mounting concern that not enough controls were in place to prevent the deadly disease from entering the US.On Wednesday, the White House announced that passengers travelling from west Africa will face additional Ebola screenings at five US airports, amid mounting concern that not enough controls were in place to prevent the deadly disease from entering the US.
The current outbreak of Ebola has killed more than 4,000 people in west Africa.The current outbreak of Ebola has killed more than 4,000 people in west Africa.