Authorities have declared that all efforts to contain the Ebola virus in the United States is now in full swing as another American is yet again infected with the deadly disease. 33-year-old American journalist Ashoka Mukpo was in Liberia, working with an NBC news team as a freelance cameraman covering the unfolding events of the crisis in that region. During the course of his stay, however, Mukpo was exposed to the virus and has now been flown back to the United States to receive treatment in Nebraska. The rest of the news team is now also being kept under close observation of four symptoms of the disease.
Back in the United States, the first patient diagnosed with the Ebola virus disease within the country could potentially be facing criminal charges for importing Ebola into the US. Airport officials said that Thomas Eric Duncan provided false information on his exit forms, saying that he answered "no" to questions asking if he had come in contact with or treated Ebola patients. The authorities now believe that Duncan could have exposed over 100 people to the virus, possibly infecting them as well. All measures are being taken to be able to get in touch with all the passengers who were on the same flight as Duncan.
The family he was visiting in the state of Texas, his girlfriend and her children, are already being held in quarantine. The apartment that was previously occupied by the patient had already undergone decontamination with everything that came in contact with Duncan-including towels, sheets, his mattress, and his personal belongings-sanitized or permanently disposed of.
Dallas County Health and Human Services, Dir. Zachary Thompson, said that, "There is no outbreak, and so therefore, everyone should either fears and allow the public health officials in this state and from the CDC and the local health department to respond to the issue."
The Ebola virus is still raging across West Africa, with over 7,000 people infected more than 3,000 dead.
