There are growing concerns in North Texas that the first case of Ebola to be diagnosed in the United States is in Dallas at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital.
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) confirmed that the patient, Thomas Eric Duncan, had recently traveled from Liberia in Africa to the United States on September 20th. He began showing symptoms four days later. CDC officials stress that since he did not have symptoms on the plane, that those he were traveling with were not exposed to the deadly virus.
He was initially turned away from the hospital on Sept. 26th with a prescription for antibiotics, but was transported back to the hospital by ambulance a two days later. He is now in serious but stable condition. The three members of the ambulance crew are being monitored.
Authorities say about 80 people in total are being monitored, including at least five children from four schools in DISD. Those children have been kept home from school. Being “monitored” means a public health worker visits twice a day to take their temperature and ask them if they are experiencing any symptoms.
One person was identified on Wednesday as a possible second Ebola patient who had close contact with Duncan.
To stop the spread of Ebola, Texas health officials have placed the Dallas family of Duncan under quarantine and ordered them not to have any contact with outsiders or leave their home for 21 days. They are also under an order to provide blood samples and agree to any necessary testing.
Ebola symptoms can include fever, muscle pain, vomiting and bleeding, and can appear as long as 21 days after exposure to the virus. The disease is not contagious until symptoms begin and it is not an airborne disease. It spreads only by close contact with an infected person’s bodily fluids.
Today, Liberian authorities stated that they will prosecute Duncan if and when he returns to that country for allegedly lying on the screening questionnaire that is distributed at the airport for anyone trying to leave the country. He answered that he had not had contact with anyone who was infected with Ebola.