Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas admitted a patient into strict isolation to be evaluated for potential Ebola Virus Disease (EVD), based on the patient’s symptoms and recent travel history, according to a statement by the hospital.
By Tuesday afternoon, the CDC had received preliminary blood test results back, confirming that the patient was indeed infected with the potentially deadly virus.
The patient had recently traveled to Liberia, leaving the West African country on September 19 and arriving in the US on the following day. The patient had no Ebola symptoms when leaving Liberia or entering the United States, CDC Director Dr. Tom Frieden said during a press conference, RT reported.
Around September 24, the patient began developing symptoms, which are often non-specific, Frieden noted. On Sunday, the victim sought care for those symptoms, and was admitted to the Texas hospital and put in an isolation ward. The patient is currently “critically ill,” according to the CDC director.
“It does not appear the individual was involved in the response to Ebola, but we will investigate to learn more,” Frieden said.
Ebola does not spread during the eight to 10-day average incubation period, which can last as short as two days or as long as 21 days. All air travelers leaving West Africa are screened for fevers both before and after the flight.