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The World Health Organization reported on Thursday, October 16, that some "427 medical care workers have been infected with Ebola virus worldwide", and that "236 of them died."[1]

Secondary infections of health care workers

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Kent Brantly

Missionary doctor, Kent Brantly, MD, contracted the Ebola virus in West Africa but recovered fully, with antibodies, after his experimental treatment was completed. He urged the general public in the USA to remain confident about the American healthcare systems's capacity to treat ebola in the US and instead to focus their concerns upon ebola sufferers in the nations of West Africa.

Nina Pham

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On the night of October 10, a 26-year-old nurse, Nina Pham, who had treated Thomas Eric Duncan, a 42-year-old Liberian national, at the Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital in Dallas, reported a low-grade fever and was placed in isolation. On Saturday, October 11, Ms. Pham tested positive for Ebola virus, thus becoming the first human person in the U.S. to contract the ebolavirus.[2][3][4] On Sunday, October 12, the CDC confirmed these positive ebolavirus test results.[2] Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital officials reported that Pham had worn the recommended protective gear while providing medical treatment to Mr. Duncan during his second visit to this Dallas hospital, and that she had "extensive contact" with him on "multiple occasions". Pham was in stable condition as of October 12.[2][3][5] Although no evidence exists of dogs transmitting Ebola virus to humans, Pham's dog is being quarantined out of caution.[6]

Pham's infection represents the first case contracted on U.S. soil, leading Frieden to launch an investigation as to how she became infected.[7][8] On October 13, Frieden urged the public to brace for more bad news, however, suggesting that there could be additional cases in coming days, particularly among the health care workers who cared for Duncan.[7]

On October 16, Pham was transferred to a facility at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Bethesda, Maryland. [9] She arrived at Bethesda during the night.[10]

Amber Vinson

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On October 14, a second nurse at the same hospital, identified as 29-year-old Amber Vinson,[11] reported a fever. Vinson was among the nurses who provided treatment for Duncan and was isolated within 90 minutes of reporting the fever. By the next day, Vinson had tested positive for Ebola virus.[12] On October 13, Vinson had flown Frontier Airlines Flight 1143 from Cleveland to Dallas, after spending the weekend in Akron, Ohio. She had a fever of 99.5 °F (37.5 °C) before boarding the 138-passenger jet, according to public health officials. Vinson had flown to Cleveland from Dallas on Frontier Airlines Flight 1142 on October 10.[13] During a press conference, CDC Director Tom Frieden stated she should not have traveled, since she was one of the health care workers known to have exposure to Duncan.[14] Passengers of both flights were asked to contact the CDC as a precautionary measure.[15][16][17]

It was later discovered that the CDC gave Vinson permission to board a commercial flight to Cleveland.[18] Before her trip back to Dallas, she called the CDC several times to report her 99.5 °F (37.5 °C) fever before boarding her flight. A CDC employee who took her call checked a CDC chart, noted that Vinson's fever wasn't 100.4 °F (38.0 °C) or higher which the CDC deemed as "high risk", and gave her permission to board the commercial flight.[19]

On October 15, Vinson was transferred to the Emory University Hospital in Atlanta.[20]

As a precaution, sixteen people[21] in Ohio who had contact with Vinson were voluntarily quarantined. Flight crew members from Frontier Airlines Flight 1142 from Dallas to Cleveland were put on paid leave for 21 days.[22]

Monitoring of other health care workers

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As of October 15, 2014, 76 Texas Presbyterian Hospital healthcare workers who had some level of contact with Thomas Duncan were being monitored.[23]

On October 16, after learning that Vinson had traveled on a plane before her Ebola diagnosis, the Texas Department of State Health Services advised all healthcare workers who had been exposed to Duncan to avoid travel and public places until 21 days after their last known exposure.[24]

Medical workers as ebolavirus research subjects

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See Ruth Atkins (UK nurse)


See also

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References

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  1. ^ Deadly Ebola Virus Killed 236 Healthcare Workers Worldwide: WHO
  2. ^ a b c Fernandez, Manny (October 12, 2014). "Texas Health Worker Tests Positive for Ebola". New York Times. Retrieved October 12, 2014.
  3. ^ a b "Ebola: Texas nurse tests positive". CNN. October 12, 2014. Retrieved October 12, 2014.
  4. ^ "CDC Test Confirms Dallas Caregiver Positive for Ebola". NBC News. Retrieved October 12, 2014.
  5. ^ Ebola: Health care worker tests positive at Texas hospital. BBC News October 12, 2014.
  6. ^ "Dog of Dallas Nurse with Ebola to Be Kept in Safe Place". Wall Street Journal. October 13, 2014. Retrieved October 14, 2014.
  7. ^ a b "CDC head says more health care workers could have Ebola, despite claiming ‘any hospital’ can handle virus", Fox News, October 13, 2014
  8. ^ "2nd Ebola Case in U.S. Stokes Fears of Health Care Workers", New York Times, October 12, 2014.
  9. ^ "Nurse with Ebola heads to Maryland for care". USA Today. October 16, 2014.
  10. ^ Lettis, George (October 17, 2014). "Ebola patient to be in high-level containment at NIH". WBAL-TV. Retrieved October 17, 2014.
  11. ^ "Second Ebola-infected nurse ID'd; flew domestic flight day before diagnosis". Fox News. Retrieved October 15, 2014.
  12. ^ "Second Health Care Worker Tests Positive for Ebola". Texas Department of State Health Services. Retrieved October 15, 2014.
  13. ^ "Health-care worker with Ebola flew on commercial flight a day before being diagnosed". Washington Post.
  14. ^ "Dallas nurse with Ebola should not have been traveling: CDC". New York Post. October 15, 2014. Retrieved October 15, 2014.
  15. ^ "CDC and Frontier Airlines Announce Passenger Notification Underway - Media Statement - CDC Online Newsroom - CDC".
  16. ^ "The Second Ebola Nurse Was On Commercial Flights And Now The CDC Is Looking For The Other Passengers". Business Insider. October 15, 2014. Retrieved October 15, 2014.
  17. ^ "Health-care worker with Ebola visited family in Summit County, traveled to Dallas from Cleveland". www.ohio.com. Retrieved October 15, 2014.
  18. ^ "Ebola nurse got CDC OK for Cleveland trip". October 15, 2014.
  19. ^ "CDC: Ebola Patient Traveled By Air With "Low-Grade" Fever".
  20. ^ "Second Nurse With Ebola Arrives at Emory". ABC News. October 15, 2014. Retrieved October 15, 2014.
  21. ^ "Amber Joy Vinson's stepfather under strict Ebola quarantine, 16 Ohioans had contact with Vinson". cleveland.com. Retrieved October 18, 2014.
  22. ^ JACK HEALY, SABRINA TAVERNISE and ABBY GOODNOUGH (16 October 2014). "Obama May Name 'Czar' to Oversee Ebola Response". New York Times. Retrieved 17 October 2014.
  23. ^ "Ebola outbreak in the U.S., by the numbers". NJ.com.
  24. ^ "Movement of Persons with Possible Exposure to Ebola". Texas Department of State Health Services. October 16, 2014. Retrieved October 17, 2014.


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