United Airlines has confirmed that the Dallas man, who was diagnosed with Ebola, rode one of their flights and may have exposed a couple of passengers to the fatal virus.
According to Los Angeles Times, the Ebola-diagnosed patient named Thomas Eric Duncan of Liberia was confirmed to be one of the passengers of a United Airlines flight that arrived in the United States on Sept. 20.
Duncan reportedly flew to the U.S. to pay a visit to his family there. He manifested the symptoms of Ebola virus exactly four days after he arrived in the country, said health officials.
United Airlines said that the Ebola patient took Flight 951 from Brussels Airport to Washington Dulles International Airport then, he took Flight 822 to Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, arriving at his destination on Wednesday.
"While the CDC states it is unnecessary for it or the airline to contact others who were on the patient's flights, United is providing information about the flights United believes the patient took, based on information provided by the CDC," United Airlines said in a statement. "We are ensuring our employees have this information and suggest that any customers who have concerns contact the experts at the CDC for further information."
U.S. officials had refused to provide details on Duncan's itinerary, insisting that none of his fellow passengers in the flights he took were at risk because he didn't manifest the symptoms at the time of his travel, reported Daily Mail.
Late Thursday, Duncan sought medical care at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital, where it was found out that he had travelled to West Africa recently.
"Regretfully, that information was not fully communicated throughout the full team," Dr. Mark C. Lester, a hospital executive, said. "As a result, the full import of that information wasn't factored into the clinical decision-making."
As per updated reports, Duncan had a low grade fever at the time and experienced abdominal pain but didn't show symptoms conclusive of Ebola. Hence, he was sent home with prescribed antibiotics.
Two days later, he was seen vomiting on the ground outside an apartment complex before he was rushed to the hospital.
Health officials said that over 80 people were in contact with the Ebola patient some point, which is significantly bigger than the 18 people who were believed to have been exposed to the deadly virus as per earlier reports.
"His whole family was screaming. He got outside and he was throwing up all over the place," resident Mesud Osmanovic told reporters, describing what took place before Duncan was admitted to Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital on Sunday, according to Chicago Tribune.
Four members of Duncan's family have been asked to stay home as precautionary measure, according to city officials.
News of an Ebola spread in Dallas surfaced despite the firm claim of health professionals that residents shouldn't fear of getting exposed to the deadly virus since the only way it can spread is through direct contact with the bodily fluids of diagnosed patients, noting that patients are only contagious once they manifest the symptoms.
As of late, five elementary, middle and high school students are being monitored after officials have found that they have had direct contact with Duncan since he arrived in the United States.
The students, who are attending four different schools, are being monitored at home though they do not show any symptom specific of Ebola virus.
Several U.S. airlines are currently working with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other government agencies in their effort to prevent the spread of the deadly virus in the country.
JetBlue Airways and American Airlines are among the airlines that follow the guidelines form the CDC.
"We follow the guidelines (put) in place by the CDC specifically for airlines, and we work with our crews to protect the health of our customers and employees," American Airlines spokesman Josh Freed said.
On the other hand, JetBlue spokesman Morgan Johnston said Airlines for America - the industry trade group - is coordinating with the CDC regarding Ebola concerns.
According to David L. Lakey, commissioner of the Texas Department of State Health Services, the conditions in the United States are very different from what's going on in West Africa, where over 3,000 people have died because of the Ebola outbreak there.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
