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Last updated on Monday, October 13, 2014
(DALLAS,TX) - During a news conference on Sunday, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr. Tom Friedman said a breach in protocol resulted in the second Ebola infection in the U.S.
A female healthcare worker tested positive for Ebola after having "extensive contact" with Ebola patient Thomas Duncan at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital in Dallas has tested positive, the Texas Department of State Health Services reported early Sunday.
According to reports, she was in full protective gear while caring for Duncan.
The preliminary test was performed by the state public health laboratory in Austin, TX.
According to the department's news release, the worker was isolated and tested after reporting a low-grade fever Friday night.
"We knew a second case could be a reality, and we've been preparing for this possibility," said Dr. David Lakey, commissioner of the Texas Department of State Health Services. "We are broadening our team in Dallas and working with extreme diligence to prevent further spread."
Health officials were identifying contacts and potential exposures for possible monitoring, depending on their interactions with the healthcare worker and their potential for exposure to the virus.
The CDC will conduct a confirmation test.
The positive test comes less than a week after Duncan, the first person to test positive for Ebola in the U.S., died at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital.
More than 4,000 people have died of Ebola, the World Health Organization announced Friday, and there were more than 8,300 confirmed, probable and suspected cases of the disease.
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