Ebola Diagnosed In U.S. For The First Time

 

Federal health officials on Tuesday Sep 30,2014 confirmed the first case of Ebola diagnosed in the U.S., a male patient who recently traveled from Liberia to Dallas and a sign of the far-reaching impact of the out-of-control epidemic in West Africa.

The unidentified patient was critically ill and has been in isolation at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital since Sunday, officials said.

Health authorities have begun tracking down family and friends who may have had close contact with the patient and could be at risk for becoming ill. But officials said there are no other suspected cases in Texas.

The Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital patient traveled from Liberia to September 19 and arrived in the United States on the next day, without showing symptoms of the deadly virus, CDC Director Tom Frieden told reporters in a press conference filmed by NBC News.

 

The patient, Frieden said, started to show signs of the virus September 24 and then 'sought care' on the 26th. Frieden said two days later the patient was admitted to Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas and isolated.

Frieden said there was no risk to anyone on the airplane because the patient had no symptoms at the time of the flight.