Pending confirmation from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, the first person to have contracted the deadly Ebola virus within the US would be a female nurse who wore protective gear during her "extensive contact" at the Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital in Dallas, with Ebola patient, Thomas Eric Duncan, who died last Wednesday. The nurse tested positive for the virus during a preliminary blood test early on Sunday, but confirmatory testing is being conducted at the CDC, and the results are expected to be announced later in the day.
Dr. Tom Frieden, the director of the CDC, stated, “At some point, there was a breach in protocol, and that breach in protocol resulted in this infection," he said at a news conference Sunday. "The (Ebola treatment) protocols work. ... But we know that even a single lapse or breach can result in infection.” However, it remains unclear if the nurse contracted the virus during Duncan’s first visit, where he was misdiagnosed and sent home after showing up with symptoms such as vomit and a high fever.
All those who had close interactions with the nurse during the past few weeks, are kept in isolation and will be for the next three weeks as the period of incubation for the virus is 21 days. "We knew a second case could be a reality, and we've been preparing for this possibility," said Dr. David Lakey, commissioner of the Texas Department of State Health Services. "We are broadening our team in Dallas and working with extreme diligence to prevent further spread," he continued.
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