CDC: First Ebola case diagnosed outside Africa; patient being treated in Dallas, Texas
The Guardian reports that the patient began to show symptoms, which can include high fever, vomiting, diarrhoea, and internal and external bleeding, on 24 September. He sought treatment for the first time on 26 September, but was not admitted to hospital until two days later.
The Dallas hospital sent specimens from the patient to CDC in Atlanta on Tuesday, and tests confirmed he was suffering from Ebola. Separate tests conducted by state-operated laboratory in Texas also concluded that the specimens tested positive for Ebola.
A spokeswoman for Dallas County health and human services department told the Guardian that it will be “conducting a public health follow-up” on the patient which will include investigating travel history and recent contacts.
In his press conference, Friedman stressed that there was “zero risk” that the patient could have transmitted the disease on the flight from Liberia to the United States, because he was not symptomatic at the time, and only symptomatic individuals can infect other individuals – and only through direct contact with blood or bodily fluids.
Frieden added that the possibility of treating the patient with experimental therapies was being discussed with the patient’s family.
He noted people who came into contact with the patient could develop the disease. “It is certainly possible that someone who had contact with this individual … could develop Ebola in the coming weeks,” Frieden said.
Dr. David Lakey, commissioner of the Texas department of state health services, told the CDC briefing: “We have no other suspected cases in the state of Texas at this time.”
Zachary S Thompson, the Dallas county director of health and human services, said: “Dallas County residents should be aware that the public health is our number one priority at Dallas Ccounty health and human services. Our staff will continue to work hard to protect the health and welfare of the citizens in Dallas County.”
If the Texas patient receives the experimental treatment for Ebola, he will be the fifth to do so in the United States (a sixth American – a carrier of dual American-Liberian citizenship who worked for Liberia’s Ministry of the Treasury – contracted the disease in Monrovia in July and dies a few days later in a Lagos, Nigeria hospital).
The four Americans who received the experimental treatment are aid workers Dr. Kent Brantly and Nancy Writebol, who were flown back for treatment at Emory University hospital. Both recovered.
Dr. Rick Sacra, the third U.S. aid worker to contract Ebola while working at a hospital in Monrovia, was released from Nebraska Medical Center last week.
A fourth American is being treated at Emory. The patient’s identity has not being disclosed, but the Guardian notes that he is believed to be a World Health Organization doctor who was treating Ebola patients in Sierra Leone.
Ebola fraud
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said it had issued warning letters to three privately held companies marketing what they claim are treatments to prevent or treat Ebola.
The letters were sent to Newton, New Jersey-based Natural Solutions Foundation (see warning letter here), Utah-based dōTERRA International LLC (see warning letter here), and Utah-based Young Living (see warning letter here).
The FDA said it had become aware that these three companies were selling products online which fraudulently claim to prevent or treat Ebola.
The FDA said the warning letters were sent following a review of the companies’ Web sites and social media accounts promoting the sale of the products.
