Ebola Virus 2014 Outbreak News Update & Death Toll: Dallas Nurse Infected Identified as Nina Pham
- Staff Reporter
- Oct 14, 2014 08:51 AM EDT
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Dallas nurse Nina Pham has become the first patient to contract the Ebola virus while in the United States.
The health care worker got infected with the disease after treating Thomas Eric Duncan, who later died of the illness.
This case is the first known transmission of the virus within American soil and marks the second diagnosis of the lethal virus in the U.S.
According to WFAA, the 26-year-old nurse, who works at the Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital, was part of the team treating Duncan, a Liberian who was the first to be diagnosed with Ebola in the United States last month.
The Huffington Post recalled how last week, it was confirmed by state health officials that someone from the hospital was showing the symptoms of the Ebola virus that has wrecked havoc in West Africa.
Pham, who was said to have used protective gears during her "extensive contact" with Duncan, tested positive for the disease during a preliminary blood test, noted CNN.
While her gear included a gown, gloves, mask and a shield, apparently, there was a breach in hospital protocol, reported the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
"Unfortunately, it is possible in the coming days we will see additional cases of Ebola," said CDC director Tom Frieden during Sunday's press conference, noted HuffPost. "This is because the health care workers who cared for this individual may have had a breach of the same nature."
Following his statements on Sunday, Frieden apologized the following day saying he was not blaming Pham or the hospital.
"I apologize if people thought I was criticizing the hospital," Frieden said via USA Today. "And I feel awful that a health care worker became infected while helping an Ebola patient."
Pham, who graduated from the nursing school of Texas Christian University in 2010, was reportedly self-monitoring and upon noting she ran a low grade fever, brought herself to the hospital on Friday night.
Over the weekend, Pham received a blood transfusion from Ebola survivor, Dr. Kent Brantly, after being contacted by the hospital, wrote WFAA.
To date, Pham is said to be in stable condition, "in good spirits" and regularly talking to family through Skype.
Meanwhile, authorities have reportedly identified an individual who may have been around Pham before the symptoms manifested. The unnamed person is presently being monitored by the CDC, WFAA added, and he/she is showing no symptoms of the virus.
The Ebola outbreak in West Africa has killed more than 4,000 people, mostly in the countries of Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone.
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