The Centers for Disease Control and Protection confirmed that there is an Ebola case in Dallas, Texas last Tuesday. The patient traveled to the United States from Liberia last September 20 but did not show any symptoms during his flight. It was only last September 24, when he first developed symptoms specific to the disease.
He then sought medical attention last Friday and was placed in isolation last Sunday. He was confined at the Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital. According to the Texas Department of State Health Services, all the crew including EMS and ambulance personnel who attended to the patient was placed on quarantine.
Furthermore, the health officials are trying to reach out to all those who came in close contact with the patient specifically his family members. Ebola virus is a deadly disease that can be transmitted through transfer of body fluids and it is only contagious when the person manifests the symptoms.
Accordingly, there is no risk for his co-passengers in the airplane because he has not developed the symptoms yet. It means that he is not yet contagious by then. According to the City of Dallas, he came to Dallas a week ago because he visited his family.
The federal health officials said that at to this moment, there are still no other cases of Ebola in the state as well as persons with symptoms. The CDC is now working on monitoring all the family members and hospital crew who came in close contact with the patient. They will be monitored for 21 days and if symptoms would appear, they would be isolated and treated accordingly.
Symptoms for Ebola include fever, muscle pain, headache, weakness, diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal pain and unexplained bleeding. If the person would not show the symptoms in 21 days, they are not expected to have Ebola virus. The CDC said that the development and recovery from Ebola depends on the immune response of the patient. That is why they are alerting everyone to boost their immune system.