NIH Official Says Dallas Hospital "Dropped the Ball" With Travel History Of U.S. Ebola Patient

Hospital Turned The Patient Away When He First Appeared At The ER Last Thursday

(AllHipHop News) Less than three days after announcing that the first Ebola case had been confirmed on U.S. soil, new details indicate over 80 people had direct or indirect contact with the patient before he entered  Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital.

According to the New York Times,  Duncan helped transport a pregnant Ebola victim to a Liberian hospital shortly before traveling to the U.S., though authorities advise that flight passengers were not in danger as the patient hadn’t started exhibiting symptoms yet.

Officials are trying to figure out why the patient, identified as Liberian national Thomas Eric Duncan, was mistakenly sent home from the ER Thursday night  after he came in with complaints of abdominal pain despite telling staff that he had recently been in Liberia. Duncan then returned and was admitted Sunday after his condition worsened.

“A travel history was taken, but it wasn’t communicated to the people who were making the decision. … It was a mistake. They dropped the ball,” said Dr. Anthony Fauci, Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

So far, no one potentially exposed has shown any signs of infection, however immediate family members have been ordered to remain at home while authorities track down anyone else that may have contact with Duncan, who is listed in serious but stable condition.

Said Texas Health Commissioner Dr. David Lakey, “The order is in place until the incubation period has passed and the family is no longer at risk of having the disease.”