Second health worker now hit by Ebola in US

Washington: A Texas health care worker who treated an Ebola victim has tested positive for the deadly tropical fever, dealing a blow to the worldwide battle to stem the  outbreak.

If preliminary test results are confirmed, the Texas patient would be the second person diagnosed with the illness and apparently the first to contract it on US soil, a day after US airports began screening travellers from epidemic-hit west Africa.

“We knew a second case could be a reality, and we’ve been preparing for this possibility,” said Dr David Lakey, commissioner of the Texas Department of State Health Services.

“We are broadening our team in Dallas and working with extreme diligence to prevent further spread.”

The health care worker from Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital in Dallas reported a low-grade fever on Friday and was isolated and referred for testing, Texas health services said on Sunday.

The hospital had treated Thomas Eric Duncan, the Liberian man who died on Wednesday. Duncan was believed to have been infected with Ebola before he left Liberia and boarded a plane to visit family in Texas.

Passengers from the three countries arriving at John F Kennedy International Airport in New York will have their temperatures taken and be screened for signs of illness and answer questions about possible exposure, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said.

“Exit screening might not find every person with Ebola, however, it does not have to be perfect to help reduce the spread of Ebola,” the CDC said in a statement. Four other major US airports are to start similar checks next week.

The CDC has predicted the number of cases globally could mount to 1.4 million by January.