Texas Health Worker Has Ebola

Treated Thomas Duncan; reported low-grade fever Friday
By Newser Editors and Wire Services
Posted Oct 12, 2014 5:44 AM CDT
Texas Health Worker Has Ebola
Soldiers from the 36th Engineer Brigade practice how to put on protective clothing and gloves during a training session at Fort Hood, Texas, Thursday, Oct. 9, 2014.   (AP Photo/San Antonio Express-News, Kin Man Hui)

Health officials say a health care worker at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital who provided care for the Ebola patient hospitalized there has tested positive for Ebola in a preliminary test. A statement posted on the Texas Department of State Health Service's website today says "confirmatory testing will be conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta." Officials say the health care worker reported a low-grade fever Friday night and was isolated and referred for testing.

Preliminary test results were received late yesterday. Dr. David Lakey, commissioner of the Texas Department of State Health Services, says officials have "been preparing for this possibility." Health officials have interviewed the patient and are identifying any contacts or potential exposures. Thomas Duncan, the first person diagnosed with Ebola in the US, died Wednesday in Dallas. (More Texas stories.)

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