The Ebola outbreak started in March and took as estimated 4,800 lives already both of civilians and health care professionals. A new case was reported wherein a doctor was diagnosed with Ebola. Dr. Craig Spencer is from New York city, worked for the Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF). He is the first case to be reported in New York city.
He complained of fever, body weakness and diarrhea on Thursday and was immediately brought to New York Bellevue Hospital. He was promptly brought to the isolation area of the hospital for immediate treatment and to prevent further cross infection to other people.
Meanwhile, health officials went out to trace all his contacts so that they can be monitored and isolated properly. They want to keep track of every possible contact of the doctor during the time he had the symptoms. The health officials, however, informed the public that there is no reason to panic or be alarmed with the case emerging. Ebola is a disease hard to contract unless the person was in direct contact with the infected patient's body fluids.
Furthermore, his fiancé and two friends are now in quarantine for monitoring. The doctor left Guinea on October 14 where he went to Europe and back to New York on October 17.
All traces will be placed on standardized 21-day quarantine and if no symptoms of the disease will occur, they can be released from isolation. In related news, the formulation and testing of the Ebola vaccine is still under progress.
The World Health Organization has released reports that there are two undergoing research for a vaccine that can save people from the Ebola outbreak. By the end of December, UN officials the research will be finished. They will give the vaccines mainly to health care professionals taking care of patients infected with Ebola. The WHO and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are working hand in hand to prevent the spread of the disease not only in the United States, but in West Africa too.