American Health Worker Exposed to Ebola Overseas Arrives in Nebraska
An American health care worker who experienced high-risk exposure to the Ebola virus while working in Sierra Leone has arrived at a Nebraska hospital.
Jan. 4, 2015, 9:29 PM UTC / Updated Jan. 4, 2015, 9:30 PM UTC
OMAHA, Neb. — An American health care worker who experienced high-risk exposure to the Ebola virus while working in Sierra Leone has arrived at a Nebraska hospital for observation.
The patient landed in Omaha Sunday afternoon. Paramedics wearing full-body protective gear drove the patient to the Nebraska Medical Center, which has a specialized biocontainment unit.
Dr. Phil Smith, who leads the unit, says the patient is neither ill nor contagious, and that "all appropriate precautions" will be taken.
The patient will be observed for any signs of Ebola throughout the virus' 21-day incubation period.
Three Ebola patients have been treated at the Omaha hospital. Two recovered, while one died.
The World Health Organization says more than 8,000 people have died from the Ebola outbreak in West Africa that began about a year ago.
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— The Associated Press