UPDATE: 2:00 PM EST
Authorities in Liberia say they plan to prosecute the man infected with Ebola who was diagnosed in Dallas earlier this week, saying he lied on an airport health questionnaire.
With an Ebola crisis raging in West Africa, passengers leaving Liberia are being screened for fever and are asked if they have had contact with anyone infected.
On the questionnaire obtained by The Associated Press, Thomas Eric Duncan answered ‘no’ to those questions.
Neighbors say Duncan had helped a sick pregnant woman who later died of the disease. Her illness at the time was believed to be pregnancy-related.
Story developing…
SOURCE: HuffPost
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Health officials in Texas treating the Dallas patient diagnosed with Ebola in the United States are confirming that as many as 80 people were in contact with him, increasing the initial number of 20 individuals.
Four members of Thomas Eric Duncan’s family have also been ordered to stay home as a precaution, although they are not showing symptoms. Five of those who came in contact with Duncan are children. Family members have been told to stay home until Oct. 19.
But on Wednesday, news that health officials were closely monitoring a possible second Ebola patient in the U.S. sent shock waves through the Dallas area. Parents at the four schools five of the children attend were faced with the difficult decision of pulling their students out of school for the time being, or ignoring the misconceptions of the deadly disease.
“We have tried and true protocols to protect the public and stop the spread of this disease,” said Dr. David Lakey, Texas health commissioner. “This order gives us the ability to monitor the situation in the most meticulous way.”
Duncan is the first person to be diagnosed with Ebola in the U.S. He left Liberia on Sept. 19 and arrived in Dallas the following day. On Sept. 26, Duncan came to the hospital after exhibiting symptoms, but was accidentally sent home with a prescription for antibiotics. He also told a health care worker that he recently traveled to Liberia.
Two days later, he was admitted to Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital after falling severely ill. The ambulance he traveled in tested negative for the virus, although Duncan reportedly vomited in the vehicle.
Three paramedics who transported Duncan are temporarily off duty and under observation. They have tested negative for the virus, but were told to stay home for the time being.
Texas Health Director David Lakey, accompanied by Gov. Rick Perry, said the state has been preparing for the possibility of the virus landing here since August.
“This is a very sophisticated city, a very sophisticated hospital, … and the chances of it being spread are very, very scarce,” Lakey said.
Ebola symptoms include vomiting, bleeding, muscle pain, and fever. It can take as long as 21 days for symptoms to appear and the deadly virus is not contagious until symptoms begin. So far, at least 3,338 people have died from the largest outbreak on record in Western Africa.
We’ll keep you updated with the latest in the Ebola crisis.
SOURCE: Reuters, USA Today | PHOTO CREDIT: Facebook | VIDEO SOURCE: News Inc.
