The first person diagnosed with Ebola in the United States, Liberian national Thomas Eric Duncan, died on Wednesday morning at a Dallas hospital, a hospital spokesman said.
“It is with profound sadness and heartfelt disappointment that we must inform you of the death of Thomas Eric Duncan this morning at 7:51 am,” hospital spokesman Wendell Watson said in an emailed statement.
Duncan became ill after arriving in the Texas city from Liberia on Sept. 20 to visit family, heightening concerns the world’s worst Ebola outbreak on record could spread outside of the three worst-hit West African countries. About 48 people with whom Duncan had been in contact are being monitored.
Ebola has killed more than 3,400 people in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea since the outbreak began in March, nearly half of all those infected, according to the World Health Organization. While several American patients have been flown to the United States from West Africa for treatment, Duncan was the first person to start showing symptoms of the disease on U.S. soil.
A Spanish nurse who treated a priest who worked in the region is also infected.
Duncan was able to fly to the United States from Liberia’s capital Monrovia, which is at the epicenter of the Ebola outbreak, because he did not have a fever when screened at the airport and filled out a questionnaire saying he had not been in contact with anyone infected with Ebola.
Liberian officials have since said that he lied on the questionnaire and had been in contact with a pregnant woman who later died of the disease. Ebola can take as long as three weeks before its victims show symptoms, at which point the disease becomes contagious. Ebola, which can cause fever, vomiting and diarrhea, spreads through contact with bodily fluids such as blood or saliva.
Duncan began feeling ill shortly after his arrival in Texas. He went to Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital in Dallas on Sept. 25, but was initially sent home with antibiotics. His condition worsened, he returned Sept. 28 by ambulance and was diagnosed with the disease.
“The past week has been an enormous test of our health system, but for one family it has been far more personal. Today they lost a dear member of their family. They have our sincere condolences, and we are keeping them in our thoughts,” David Lakey, commissioner of the Texas Department of State Health Services said in a statement.
Officials have said as many as 48 people may have been exposed to the disease by Duncan, and that the 10 people at highest risk are cooperating with public health authorities by staying in quarantine voluntarily. The other 38 people who may have been exposed are being checked routinely for fever.
U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director Dr. Thomas Frieden said he was confident the disease would not spread widely within the United States. U.S. officials are also expanding their response in West Africa.
(Writing by Richard Valdmanis)
Condolences.
I wonder why he wasn’t given the same serum as the two Doctors that were brought back, was it because he was to far along or what?
I was wondering the same thing too. He died but the others recovered
This is so sad. Seem to be they made him an example to let other people know if they are trying to come over here with ebola you will not get no proper treatment. All want to charge the man on his dying bed. RIP and condolences to his family, especially his son.
I sadly think this was the case….Liberia was an American Colony I feel they should do more…..
I dont want to sound insensitive, but I believe the government should stop all flights out and in from those countries that are infected, because you cannot trust the people to tell the truth.
I share the same sentiment
I agree with you, but we are all human if you contracted that disease best beleive, you would have been on the first plane back to the states as well. Your first thought is survival….solution free up the drug to Africans and stop the politics..
Metty mi hear seh it reach a Jamaica too, and dem a hide it, a dont know how true it is!!! Mi nuh know if a just mischievous ppl a spread propaganda or wah, but one voice note a circulate seh 1 Doctor from 1 a dem African country come a JA and wasnt screened, and Portia tek flight as she heard, but a second hand information suh I cant seh fi sure, if it is facts, but a hope a rumor, cauz if so be d case wi kuntamaatnaught, d whole a JA a wipe out, cauz if dem cant control 1 likkle chikungunya (chickengunman) everybody dung yah a ketch it, and d heath Ministry a misinform d public bout virus being spread by mosquito!!??!! Not a mosquito, a lie dem a tell pan mosquito, yuh see how mosquito a get blame fi sinting him nuh know bout??? If yuh ask mi, tek my foolish advice, I believe seh d chik v is a airbourne virus cauz to d looks of things like everybody a JA a guh get it, & d strange thing is, only panadol can treat it effectively, there is no cure for it!!!! No sah dis sound fishy (or shd I chickenish baaddd!!!)A must smaddy unleash dem sinting yah pan wi man. mark my words anyhow Ebola reach yah fi true, wi can kiss wi sorry ass goodbye, cuz if dem cant contain and control 1 likkle flu virus, a Ebola weh a wipe out almost 1 continent dem a guh control???!!! Lord I turn to you!!!!!
@OneDrop, I doubt very much this Chick V has anything to do with mosquitos..We are being attacked from every angle and notice, it’s pure black people and third world countries. I think the Chick V is to weaken your immunity so when Ebola hits, it’s devastating. Something major cometh
Definitely Foxy, this is dem plan fi wipe out d black race. Only God alone can come down and tell mi seh this nuh handset, this a nuh man-mad. We a dem lab rats and Guinea pig. D chik v terrible man, come een like seh a cripple yuh a guh cripple when yuh have it, wi cant handle a message more not even a common cold, must less fi brace fi ebola. D end is difinitely near, God soon soon come. Sooner than wi expect. cauz d chik v weaken yuh sy
He shouldn’t ave lied about being in contact with that infected pregnant woman his careless actions put an entire nation at risk nd if he hadnt lied he probably would have gotten help a lot sooner
U have alot of people who are honest and are not getting any treatment. If u are not a mvp then u wont be looked at. They claim they dont have and more medicine to give and its too expensive and takes long to make.
GM everyone,,,,,,,,,,,,,u knw maybe mi mad but y do I think this disease was made to be tested directly on black ppl,,,,met mi wrong fi seh dem mek dis definitely fi kill off black ppl…………..u knw no white ppl weh ded from it met r anybody weh knw pls tell mi
Oh God condolences to his loved ones,
was he a taken out to spare thousands? another thing that makes me go Hmmmmmmmmm!!!!
1. There are not saving black people.
2. This man put us all at risks.
3. Obama’s refusal to cancel flights from these countries has to do with a larger insidious agenda.
4. Not surprisingly, they saved all the white ones.
5. We’re all screwed when this crap becomes an epidemic in this country and believe me, it will.
The government’s argument is that they cannot ban flights coming from there, because there are Americans living there too and once one possesses an american passport they should not be denied re-entry.
l
That is nonsense…other African nations have banned entry from these areas and they are Africans, we can do the same. If Americans living there are in fear, they need to return home until Ebola is no longer a threat and before the borders are closed. You do not subject the masses to a threat based on the likes of a few, under no economic theory does this make sense.
Secondly, the pregnant woman died the day after he took her to the hospital. He was aware she had Ebola, that was the reason she was rejected by the hospital and the sole reason he left.
No one wants to die but when you place my child’s life at risk by your attempt at saving yours, I kinda take that personally.
I do get your point. What may seem as nonsense to me and you may be practical to the government. I myself wish they would ban the flight but…. As for Mr Duncan’s knowledge or lack thereof I cannot debate. I got that piece of tidbit from CNN
On the contrary, government must make sense. Government are civil servants elected by you and I to carry out our wishes. When the people are aware of this, only then will government take a back seat to the people, like in Iceland.
The power always belongs to the people, the problem is, the people do not know this and thus, they disenfranchise themselves.
The first priority of the President is to protect the country from all threats. He even acknowledge that Ebola posed a global threat. Then why are the American citizens being threatened by a potential epidemic when he has the power and the authority to eliminate such a threat and safeguard the citizenry?
That should be your only question. Do not ever make excuses for a government. Question the government whenever anything doesn’t make sense instead of saying ‘it might not make sense to me and you but to the government it does’. That is zombie speech and we must lose it.
Based on what’s being said it may seem as if Mr. Duncan was unaware that he had been exposed to the Ebola Virus. It seems no one knew that the pregnant woman who collapsed had the virus. After helping to take her to the hospital he boarded a flight the following day. It was after he left that the woman was diagnosed with the Ebola Virus.
And they had the nerve to charge him. They wicked as hell. U help someone and are left to die. Smh
@foxy. Zombie speech? Typical. I tend to think outside the box hence this discussion. Not every view will be parallel, but carry on
Oh my…RIP! This Ebola disease is serious
God help us all!
1st off no flight should never leave deh come america 2nd all if him did guh hospital on time an dem nuh know him come from Africa dem a sum rasss fool caz mi sure him can’t speak english good sug dem must get a hint 3rd mi think dem never treat him as good as di doctors dem weh dem bring back from deh caz him nuh rich an him a nuh government worker . smh my Condolences to his family i hope dem sue fi wrongful death caz di man could a live if dem di act fast an treat him good like they did the doctors
he knew he had Ebola… the man document say he was coming here for a graduation and all now nobody know which school a graduate these times of the year… they dealing with Ebola everyday over there. he dont need a test to confirm if the pregnant lady have it, from she drop a grung him jump pon the next thing smoking…….