The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Sunday confirmed test results showing that a healthcare worker in Dallas has contracted the deadly Ebola virus.
{mosads}The unidentified healthcare worker treated Thomas Eric Duncan, who died in Dallas last week. The worker, who remains isolated, was self-monitoring for fever and symptoms.
“This development is understandably disturbing news for the patient, the patient’s family and colleagues and the greater Dallas community,” the CDC said in a statement. “The CDC and the Texas Department of State Health Services remain confident that wider spread in the community can be prevented with proper public health measures, including ongoing contact tracing, health monitoring among those known to have been in contact with the index patient, and immediate isolations if symptoms develop.
“Careful monitoring of all health care workers who had interaction with the index patient and this second patient is warranted, including those who cared for the index patient between the time he was isolated in the hospital September 28 through the time of his death on October 8, and they will now be considered patient contacts for follow-up monitoring,” the CDC added.
One close contact of the healthcare worker has been identified and is being monitored, the CDC said.