Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas officials reported in a statement on Monday, Sept. 29, 2014, an unnamed patient was being tested for the Ebola virus and had been placed in “strict isolation” due to the patient’s symptoms and recent travel history.
Nearly 3,100 people have died from Ebola since first identified in Guinea six months ago. Last week, the CDC warned that between 550,000 and 1.4 million people in West Africa could be infected with Ebola by January 2015.
“Let me be real frank to the Dallas County residents: The fact that we have one confirmed case, there may be another case that is a close associate with this particular patient,” Zachary Thompson, director of Dallas County Health and Human Services tells media. “So this is real. There should be a concern, but it’s contained to the specific family members and close friends at this moment.”
The patient left Liberia on Sept. 19 and arrived in Dallas on Sept. 20. He sought treatment on Sept. 26 at the hospital, but was sent home with an antibiotics prescription. He was admitted two days later because he fell extremely ill. It’s reported the Ebola patient has come into contact with children. Those children have been kept home and are not attending school.
Ebola symptoms can appear as long as 21 days after exposure to the virus. It is contagious when symptoms begin and is spread via bodily fluids.
Here are the symptoms:
1. Fever
2. Muscle pain
3. Vomiting
4. Bleeding
5. Rash
6. Intense weakness
7. Severe headache
8. Diarrhea
