Possible Ebola Case Identified in Washington, D.C.

A patient with Ebola-like symptoms is being treated at a hospital in Washington, DC, raising more fears the highly contagious virus, which has caused more than 3,000 deaths in western Africa, could continue to migrate to the United States.

Earlier this week, the country’s first Ebola case was confirmed in Texas, and officials there say more than 100 people who came in contact with the patient are considered at risk.

The patient in DC recently traveled to Nigeria and is currently being isolated and tested at Howard University Hospital. Unknown is how long he has been symptomatic and how many people he may have been in contact with, a chief concern because once the virus is active its pattern has been to spread exponentially.

Ebola, a non-airborne virus, is spread through direct contact with an infected person’s bodily fluids. But only minimal exposure is necessary to sicken and kill.

Health officials have stressed that the virus does not spread until a victim displays symptoms, and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention has been educating health providers on how to handle suspected cases. Still, many health officials are highly concerned in no small measure because of the mishandling of the Texas case. A hospital there had sent the patient home while he was symptomatic and left untreated.

Read more: Ebola In Your Town: What’s The Plan?

DC’s Howard University Hospital released the statement:

“We can confirm that a patient has been admitted to Howard University Hospital in stable condition, following travel to Nigeria and presenting with symptoms that could be associated with Ebola. In an abundance of caution, we have activated the appropriate infection control protocols, including isolating the patient. Our medical team continues to evaluate and monitor progress in close collaboration with the CDC and the Department of Health.”

In the Texas case, the patient, Thomas Eric Duncan, 42, is being treated in Dallas. Health officials have quarantined his family and are monitoring those people he came in contact with prior to isolation.

For information on Ebola symptoms and prevention visit here.

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According to the CDC, the signs and symptoms of Ebola include:

• Fever (greater than 38.6°C or 101.5°F)
• Severe headache
• Muscle pain
• Weakness
• Diarrhea
• Vomiting
• Abdominal (stomach) pain
• Unexplained hemorrhage (bleeding or bruising)
• 2 to 10 days after exposure

Tips to Protect Yourself:

• Wash hands frequently or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer
• Avoid contact with blood and body fluids of any person, particularly someone who is sick
• Do not handle items that may have come in contact with an infected person’s blood or body fluids
• Do not touch the body of someone who has died from Ebola
• Do not touch bats and nonhuman primates or their blood and fluids and do not touch or eat raw meat prepared from these animals
• Avoid hospitals where Ebola patients are being treated. The U.S. Embassy or consulate is often able to provide advice on medical facilities

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