Since the news broke on Tuesday that the United States has recorded its first Ebola patient, details have been rolling in about Tim Eric Duncan (pictured) who is currently in serious but stable condition, according to the Associated Press.
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How He Contracted Ebola
Duncan and a group of other concerned neighbors reportedly attempted to help a young pregnant woman who was sick and needed care by taking her to a medical facility.
What both Duncan and the neighbors apparently didn’t know, however, was that the woman was actually sick with Ebola.
“Neighbors in Monrovia, Liberia, believe Duncan become infected when he helped bundle a sick pregnant neighbor into a taxi a few weeks ago and set off with her to find treatment.
“The 19-year-old woman was convulsing and complaining of stomach pain, and everyone thought her problems were related to her pregnancy, in its seventh month. No ambulance would come for her, and the group that put her in a taxi never did find a hospital. She died, and in the following weeks, all the neighbors who helped have gotten sick or died, neighbors said.”
Since Duncan’s arrival to the United States on September 20th, officials are saying he has had contact with about 80 people before being hospitalized this past Sunday.
Authorities are reportedly monitoring those individuals for Ebola symptoms, such as fever, muscle pain, bleeding, or vomiting.
Facing Prosecution
And while doctors are still unsure as to whether Duncan will recover from the deadly virus, Liberia announced on Thursday that they will prosecute Duncan for allegedly lying on a questionnaire that his relatives weren’t sick.
The BBC reports:
When he left the country last month, Liberian national Thomas Eric Duncan filled in a questionnaire saying that none of his relatives were sick.
But Liberia’s assistant health minister said he had taken a sick relative to a clinic in a wheelbarrow.
Liberia Airport Authority Chairman Binyah Kesselly added, “We wish him a speedy recovery; we await his arrival in Liberia.”
Duncan’s sister, Mai Wureh, publicly identified Duncan to the press.
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