Javier E. David of CNBC reports that the
CDC confirms first Ebola case diagnosed in US.
The United States has its first confirmed case of the Ebola virus, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Tuesday, marking the first domestic appearance of the deadly virus that has ravaged swaths of continental Africa.
Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas officials said in a statement earlier Monday that an unnamed patient was being tested for Ebola and had been placed in "strict isolation" due to the patient's symptoms and recent travel history.
At least 3,091 people have died from Ebola since the West African outbreak was 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.
News of the virus' appearance sent the share prices of key biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies skyrocketing in after-hours trading, in anticipation that large drug companies may benefit from creating a vaccine. BioCryst Pharma shot up 15 percent in after-market trading, while Tekmira soared by nearly 17 percent.
The CDC is going to hold a press conference in Atlanta to discuss this at 5:30 pm which is in about 23 minutes. I'll post an update on anything we learn there.
All the experts I've read so far say we currently do not have to worry about a Western African-like uncontrolled outbreak in the U.S. because our health care systems are much more highly developed and we have excellent contact tracer.
3:21 PM PT: CDC: Ebola confirmed in Dallas patient, who is being held in "strict isolation" at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas as he was evaluated for possible exposure to the virus."
According to the CDC, the patient acquired the virus in West Africa, though they are not sure how he was infected. He was not involved in stopping the Ebola outbreak in Africa.
Frieden also gave a brief timeline of the patient's infection in his comments Tuesday afternoon. The patient, an adult male, first showed symptoms of Ebola on Sept. 24, then first sought care on Sept. 26, before he was admitted to the hospital on Sept. 28.
Dr. Frieden said he believes "a handful" of people had contact with the patient between the 24th and 28th, including family members and "a couple" community members. Those people are already being monitored by the CDC.
Frieden said the next steps are to care for the patient and keep to a minimum the chance the virus may spread while identifying all people the patient was in contact with while he could transmit the virus. Those people will be monitored for 21 days and isolated if they develop a fever during that time.
Frieden said that others may have been infected in the United States, but said there was "no doubt" in his mind that the infection will be contained to the current patient and anyone they may have had contact with.