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The Center for Disease Control has confirmed the first case of Ebola in the U.S.  it was announced Tuesday (Sept. 30). Although a handful of American patients have caught the virus, the contraction occurred in West Africa and they were flown to the states for treatment.

This particular case is slightly different.

Reports the Washington Post:

A patient admitted by Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital in Dallas has been placed in strict isolation and is being evaluated for a potential Ebola infection “based on the patient’s symptoms and recent travel history,” the hospital said in a statement.

The statement did not say what symptoms the patient was displaying, or where the unidentified person had traveled, although the deadliest Ebola outbreak in history is centered in the West African countries of Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea, where it has killed more than 3,000 people and infected thousands of others. There is a separate outbreak in Congo.

The Dallas hospital said it is “following all federal Centers for Disease Control and Texas Department of Heath recommendations to ensure the safety of patients, hospital staff, volunteers, physicians and visitors.” Test results are expected from the CDC on Tuesday, the statement said.

The unidentified patient traveled to the U.S. on September 19  from Liberia, where the virus has been prevalent since earlier this year.  He was said to be visiting family in the states. “With what we’ve seen in the media and how deadly the Ebola virus is, it is a concern,” said director of the Dallas County Health and Human Services Department, Zachary Thompson.

The CDC held a press conference today stating that the male individual showed no symptoms on the plane and therefore could not have spread the disease at that time. It wasn’t until four days later the he started to show signs of the disease, which mirror that of a common fever. He was initially not placed in isolation or hospitalized until after Sept. 24. It is unclear exactly how many people he may have had contact with over the last several days.

“It is certainly possible that someone who had contact with this individual could develop Ebola in the coming weeks but there is no doubt in my mind that we will stop it here,” said U.S. CDC director Dr. Tom Frieden.

Ebola isn’t airborne, but it is an infectious disease, spread through direct contact with bodily fluids like saliva, blood,  sweat, and urine. An Ebola vaccination is expected to hit the market later this year. Some 20,000 people could die from the disease until the outbreak is contained.

Photo: CBS News

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