Ebola Epidemic Hits Too Close to Home—Texan Patient Prays For Survival

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In shocking news earlier this week, the Ebola epidemic hit the United States, as the CDC announced that a former chauffeur from Liberia was being quarantined in an isolation unit at the Texas Health Presbyterian hospital Dallas. Thomas Eric Duncan, mid-30's, was diagnosed with Ebola over the weekend after coming down with flu-like symptoms when he fled from his home country of Liberia.

Though the CDC and other international health organizations have recently commented on the lack of preparedness the West African nations have for these sorts of outbreaks, leading to record-breaking numbers of deaths from the viral pathogen, Dallas Texas was forced to activate its Emergency Operations Center after a flub at the hospital allowed for Duncan to potentially spread the incredibly lethal disease.

After coming down with symptoms of a flu-like infection, Duncan was released from the Emergency Room even after disclosing to the nurse on staff that he had recently returned from Liberia. Already displaying symptoms, meaning that he could possibly infect others with close contact, the CDC is using all preventative measures to monitor and contain the disease though they are now worried that up to 21 individuals could have been infected after coming in contact with Duncan over the weekend, including 5 school-age children.

"Let me assure you, these children have been identified and are being monitored" Texas Governor Rick Perry says. "This is all hands on deck."

Dr. Tom Frieden, director for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said that while it is not impossible that the children and others were infected, none appear to display any symptoms related to the Ebola's hemorrhagic fever.

"We have a seven-person team in Dallas working with then local health department and the hospital, and we will be identifying everyone who may have come in contact with him and then monitoring them for 21 days" Frieden said. Though the CDC is certain that the pandemic will be contained in the United States, as of now they are uncertain of exactly how many confirmed cases that we are looking at in the United States until the 21 day incubation period is fully monitored and patients exposed to Duncan receive a clean bill of health.

"What we need to do first in this particular instance is do everything possible to help this individual who's really fighting for their life, and then make sure that we don't have other people exposed in the hospital" Frieden says. "It's not impossible that one or two of them would develop symptoms and they too would need to be isolated."

While doctors remain vigilant in identifying and containing the disease, Duncan and his family prayed over the phone today in hopes of his survival. But the family is questioning why experimental drug treatments are not being considered in Duncan's case.

"We talked today and we prayed together with his mother and sister here" Duncan's sister Mai's roommate, Joe Weeks said. "I don't understand why he is not getting the Zmapp."

But the manufacturer of the drug, who recently shipped their limited number of treatments to the Ebola hot zone in West Africa, says that they have run out of the experimental medicine leaving Duncan without a possible cure. In the case of the Dallas, Texas outbreak much is still left unanswered, however, doctors and community members hope that the days to come will bring clarification on the extent of the infection and whether or not Ebola in the United States will remain contained.