Patient exposed to the Ebola virus hospitalized in Omaha

Another American exposed to Ebola is brought to UNMC for quarantine and treatment in Omaha, NE 

An American health worker exposed to the Ebola virus while working in Sierra Leone, Africa arrived in Omaha, NE Sunday and is now being monitored at the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) in its level-four biohazard containment unit on campus.

Safety measures taken 'out of an abundance of caution' in transporting patients
exposed to the Ebola virus in West Africa at Epply Airfield in Omaha

Paramedics were taking no chances in handling the patient so they were wearing full-body protective gear akin to a NASA space suit as they took an Ebola patient, who has not been identified, by ambulance from a plane that arrived at Eppley Airfield around 1:45 p.m. to the hospital, which has a specialized biocontainment unit.

"I can't comment on if the patient does or doesn't have any kind of symptoms at this point, but I can say the crew inside the biocontainment unit, the crew that received the patient at the airport, is treating this patient as if he or she does have the virus, just out of an abundance of caution," said UNMC spokesman Taylor Wilson.

“This patient has been exposed to the virus, but is not ill and is not contagious,” said Dr. Phil Smith, medical director of the level-4 biocontainment unit. “However, we will be taking all appropriate precautions. This patient will be under observation in the same room used for treatment of the first three patients and will be carefully monitored to see if Ebola disease develops.”

Dr. Smith said the same team that cared for the previous Ebola patients at UNMC will also treat this patient, who will be observed and monitored under quarantine for 21 days, which is the normal incubation period of the Ebola virus. The patient's health will be monitored for signs and symptoms of disease and through blood tests.

To date, three patients with confirmed infection of the Ebola virus have been treated at Nebraska Medicine. Dr. Richard Sacra was treated and released in September 2014, NBC cameraman Ashoka Mukpo was treated and released in October 2014, and Dr. Martin Salia, who passed away from the virus after less than two days of treatment was brough in November 2014.

The World Health Organization says more than 8,000 people have died from the Ebola outbreak in West Africa, the worst ever to date, that began almost a year ago.

References: 

• Medicine of Omaha—5 U.S. aid workers monitored and quarantined for Ebola in Omaha released (3/31/15)
• UNMC Newsroom—UNMC/Nebraska Medicine to be national Ebola center (7/1/15)
• KETV—Health care worker being monitored for Ebola in Omaha moved to biocontainment unit (3/16/15) with video
• Time—4 Americans Arrive for Ebola Monitoring in Nebraska (3/15/15)
• KETV—Omaha's first Ebola survivor talks to KETV (2/24/15) with video
• KETV—At least 8 individuals have been monitored for Ebola in Nebraska (2/16/15) with video
• WOWT—Patient Exposed To Ebola Hospitalized In Omaha (1/4/15) with video
• NPR—Why Ebola Patients Are Getting Treatment In Nebraska (10/6/14)Medicine of Omaha—UNMC's third Ebola patient, Dr. Martin Salia, dies in Omaha (11/18/14)
• Medicine of Omaha—The second patient treated for Ebola at the UNMC in Omaha has been released after testing negative for the virus (10/23/14)
• Medicine of Omaha—Dr. Rick Sacra back home after leaving Nebraska Medical Center (9/26/14)