First Ebola Patient in US Dies


08 October, 2014

Liberian citizen Thomas Duncan has died of Ebola at a hospital in the United States. Officials at the hospital in Dallas, Texas say Mr. Duncan died Wednesday morning.

Mr. Duncan was visiting family in Dallas when he became sick. He went to the hospital because of a high temperature and stomach pain. He was sent home with medicine. He returned on September 28 and doctors discovered he had Ebola.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Tuesday it is following 48 people who had contact or may have had contact with Mr. Duncan before he entered the hospital.

First Ebola Patient in US Dies
Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas, where U.S. Ebola patient Thomas Eric Duncan was being treated, Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2014, in Dallas. The hospital said Wednesday that Duncan has died. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

Media reports say that the United States will check travelers for signs of Ebola at airports and other entry points.

The Associated Press reports agents from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection will look for signs of the disease in people entering the country. They also will hand out informational papers about the Ebola virus.

The Ebola outbreak has killed more than 3,400 people - with most cases in Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, speaking at a news conference Wednesday, said it is urgent that more countries help in the fight against Ebola. He said more countries need to give financial support and more equipment to fight the spread of the disease.

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Words in this Story

entry point –n. a place for entering a country or other area

outbreakn. the sudden or violent start of something unwelcome, such as war or disease

urgentadj. requiring immediate action or attention.

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