CDC Confirms First Case of Ebola Diagnosed in US

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Texas health officials confirmed on Tuesday that an individual who recently returned from Liberia to the United States has tested positive for the ebola virus and is now under medical care at a facility in Dallas.

The identity of the patient has not been released publicly, only that the individual did travel from Liberia, where the disease has devastated local populations, to Dallas over a week ago but only began experiencing symptoms days after arriving.

According to the CDC:

The CDC acknowledged that the announcement was likely to raise concerns among the American public, but Dr. Tom Frieden, the agency’s director, said people should be aware that containing the disease is something that medical personnel across the U.S. are well-equipped to handle.

“Ebola can be scary. But there’s all the difference in the world between the U.S. and parts of Africa where Ebola is spreading. The United States has a strong health care system and public health professionals who will make sure this case does not threaten our communities,” Dr. Frieden said. “While it is not impossible that there could be additional cases associated with this patient in the coming weeks, I have no doubt that we will contain this.”