CDC Confirms First Case of Ebola Virus in the United States

The first case of Ebola in the United States has officially been confirmed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The patient likely contracted the disease in Liberia and then developed symptoms approximately four days after arriving in the U.S. on Sept. 20.

"Ebola can be scary. But there's all the difference in the world between the U.S. and parts of Africa where Ebola is spreading," said Tom Frieden, CDC Director, in a news release. "The United States has a strong health care system and public health professionals who will make sure this case does not threaten our communities. While it is not impossible that there could be additional cases associated with this patient in the coming weeks, I have no doubt that we will contain this."

The patient didn't exhibit symptoms of Ebola during the flights from West Africa, and the CDC does not recommend that people on the same commercial flight undergo monitoring. This is because Ebola is only contagious if the person is experiencing active symptoms, and the patient only developed these symptoms several days after the flight.

Ebola is a severe and often fatal disease in humans. It's transmitted to people from wild animals, and can then spread in the human population through human-to-human transmission. The first cases appeared in remote villages in Central Africa but since then, it's spread to west Africa and other locations.

The CDC recognizes that even just a single case of Ebola diagnosed in the U.S. is a cause for concern. That's why professionals across the country have been preparing to respond. CDC and public health officials in Texas are taking precautions to identify people who had close personal contact with the patient.

The CDC is continuing the preparations to deal with possible cases of Ebola in the United States. That said, it's likely that the public shouldn't be overly concerned. This is likely an isolated case, though every precaution is being taken.

For more information, you can visit CDC's website.