Officials Keep Track of Those Who Came in Contact with First Ebola Patient in the US

After discovering the first Ebola case in the US, officials are tracking down those who came in contact with the Liberian man who lives in Dallas. Among those who came in contact with him there are five children and another dozen people. Specialists say that it’s likely that the number of those who may be infected with the Ebola virus will increase in the days to come.

The director of the CDC, Dr. Thomas Frieden (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) announced today that all the people who may have come in contact with the first Ebola patient in the US are being monitored. They currently have the patient in quarantine and he is being treated. Dr. Frieden said that the CDC is currently trying to retrace every step the Ebola patient took in order to track down everyone who may have had contact with him. This is necessary in order to prevent any possible outbreak. Dr. Frieden is positive that an outbreak will not happen and things are under control.

In an official statement Dr. Thomas Frieden said:

“This is a tried and true reliable public-health strategy. We go from the moment he could have been infected, which is probably around the 24th, last Wednesday, and we retrace every step, every contact where he might have had direct physical contact with somebody, and for each one of those contacts, we will monitor them for 21 days after exposure, in conjunction with the local and state health department and the hospital to see if they develop symptoms.”

He added that:

“That’s how you stop an Ebola outbreak. That’s what we’ll do in this case. There’s no doubt in my mind that we can stop it in its tracks here.” At the moment the CDC have at least a dozen Ebola suspect under surveillance, including five children.

The name of the first Ebola patient in the US is Thomas Eric Duncan and he was taken to the hospital last Friday after being diagnosed with the Ebola virus. He is believed to have contracted the virus while visiting Liberia. He is now on antibiotics and was allowed to go home.

The good news is that none of those who have come in contact with the first Ebola patient in the US show any symptoms of the disease.

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Richard Carlisle

Richard is a product of the 90s and a serious fan of the Star Wars series. He graduated from the University of Florida with a degree in Applied Physiology and Kinesiology; therefore, he has a great understanding of the relationship between physical activity and mental health. Although he has a full- time job in a clinic, he enjoys covering news related to health and the United States.