Dallas nurse ID'd as first case of Ebola spread in U.S.

A Dallas health care worker diagnosed with the Ebola virus over the weekend was identified Monday as nurse Nina Pham, her family confirmed.

Pham, 26, became infected while treating Thomas Eric Duncan, the first Ebola patient to die in the United States. Pham, who graduated from Texas Christian University's nursing program in 2010, is the first person known to contract the disease while in the United States.

Thomas Frieden, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said Monday that Pham was "clinically stable."

Frieden also apologized to officials at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital in Dallas. He said his comments Sunday that Pham's infection was the result of a "breach of protocol" did not reflect on Pham or the hospital's efforts.

"I apologize if people thought I was criticizing the hospital," Frieden said at a press conference Monday. "And I feel awful that a health care worker became infected while helping an Ebola patient."

Frieden said investigators have yet to determine how Pham was infected. But he stood by the protocols — including the use of masks, gloves and other equipment — saying they have proven safe for health care workers for decades.

"The existence of the first case of Ebola spread in the U.S. changes some things and it doesn't change somethings," he said. "It doesn't change the fact that we know how Ebola spreads. It doesn't change the fact that it's possible to treat Ebola safely. But it does change substantially how we approach it."

victorisnotamused wrote:terrible, as eddie says ...so young...

now dont take this wrong....BUT

shouldnt they be calling for suitably qualified and or knowlegeable OLDER people to be doing the nursing of these unfortunate people...

people of my age for iinstance....who's dependants have grown up, and who, quite frankly are mearly sitting in lifes post chamber (as opposed to ante chamber), twiddling our thumbs and whilst enjoying life...at least whats left of it...are only heading one way?

we are likely to be FAR more careful with protocols (and THATS NOT a criticism of this poor lass OR that nurse in Spain) since experience has taught most of us that there is only ONE way to do something dangerous. Added to that few of us "old fossils" are likely to have things on our minds, worring about relationships, money, even life in general isnt a "oldie" thing to do.....so we aint likely to be distracted .

added to that of course is that most of us "fossils" aint quite so likely to fall apart as a youngster  if our patient snuffs it. and just to cap it all...by the time you get to 60, you should have cultivated a certain fatalism, that leads to a clam and serene attitude in the face of the old bugger with the scythe..........


just a thought...

but this may be one scenario where older IS indeed better.....

Men in hazardous materials suits removed the dog of a Dallas nurse infected with Ebola from her apartment on Monday, placing the pet named Bentley in a cage and taking him to an undisclosed location where he will be watched for signs of the virus.

"Bentley is safe," Dallas spokeswoman Sana Syed said on her Twitter feed of the pet who has been under the spotlight after officials in Madrid put down the dog of a Spanish nurse who contacted Ebola while caring for a patient.

Bentley, a 1-year-old King Charles Spaniel, belongs to a health worker at a Dallas hospital who contracted Ebola while caring for a patient and was placed in an isolation ward over the weekend.

veya_victaous wrote:can dogs even contract Ebola?

At this time, there have been no reports of dogs or cats becoming sick with Ebola or of being able to spread Ebola to people or other animals. Even in areas in Africa where Ebola is present, there have been no reports of dogs and cats becoming sick with Ebola. There is limited evidence that dogs become infected with Ebola virus, but there is no evidence that they develop disease.

Ben_Reilly wrote:Yikes.

Meanwhile, this from the CDC:

At this time, there have been no reports of dogs or cats becoming sick with Ebola or of being able to spread Ebola to people or other animals. Even in areas in Africa where Ebola is present, there have been no reports of dogs and cats becoming sick with Ebola. There is limited evidence that dogs become infected with Ebola virus, but there is no evidence that they develop disease.

Does this remind anybody of the early days of AIDS? I was a kid but I still remember all the irrational fear and how some people constantly tried to clear up the myths around the disease ...