US Ebola patient in ‘serious’ condition

by Peter Sullivan - 03/13/15 9:06 AM ET

The American healthcare worker with Ebola is in “serious” condition, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) said Friday.

The worker, who contracted the disease while volunteering in Sierra Leone, arrived at the NIH clinic early Friday morning. Physicians then evaluated the patient and “determined that the patient’s condition is serious,” the NIH wrote in a statement.

{mosads}The NIH has reassured the public that it is taking precautions and being careful.

“The unit staff is trained in strict infection control practices optimized to prevent spread of potentially transmissible agents such as Ebola,” it said in a press release. “NIH is taking every precaution to ensure the safety of our patients, NIH staff, and the public.”

A total of 10 patients have been treated for Ebola in the U.S. since the outbreak began last year, with the most recent arriving for treatment on Nov. 15.

The issue has mostly faded from the public conversation in the U.S. after receiving a flurry of attention last fall, when the first patient was diagnosed, and two nurses treating the man contracted Ebola.

One of the nurses, Nina Pham, was eventually transferred to the NIH, where her recovery was successful.

The NIH on Friday reassured the public that it is taking precautions and being careful.

More than 10,000 people have died from Ebola, nearly all of whom lived in Sierra Leone, Liberia or Guinea, according to the World Health Organization.

The disease has started to decline, though. President Obama declared last month that the U.S. had “risen to the challenge” of Ebola and that all but 100 of the 2,800 U.S. troops sent to West Africa to fight the disease would return home by the end of April.

— Sarah Ferris contributed. Last updated at 12:30 p.m.