Health Care

Fourth American aid worker evacuated after catching Ebola

A fourth American aid worker has arrived in the United States for treatment after contracting Ebola in West Africa.

The patient, who was not identified, was admitted at Emory University Hospital on Tuesday morning after a special evacuation flight coordinated by the State Department.

{mosads}Officials released no details about the patient except that he or she contracted the Ebola virus in Sierra Leone. Reports said a doctor awaiting evacuation was in stable condition in the capital city Freetown on Monday.

Three other American doctors have been airlifted in a similar way over the last month. Two received medical care at Emory and were cured; one is still in isolation at a hospital in Nebraska. 

The State Department said it worked in concert with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on the latest evacuation and took “every precaution” to ensure safety.

Ebola is devastating West Africa with a death toll that exceeded 2,000 people this week.

Global health officials are desperately calling for money, supplies and medical personnel to assist aid workers.

But finding volunteers is difficult because of Ebola’s high fatality rate and the dearth of medical care for people in the region and healthcare workers alike.

It is unclear which experimental treatment will be used to help the American who arrived at Emory Tuesday. Supplies of the drugs are extremely short, officials say.