A doctor exposed to the Ebola virus has arrived safely at National Institutes of Health Clinical Center in Bethesda, NIH said in astatement released Sunday.
The patient, who was flown from Africa to Frederick, Md., was taken by ambulance to nearby Bethesda about 4 p.m. ET for observation and to enroll in a clinical protocol, NIH said.
The doctor was volunteering in Sierra Leone when he or she was exposed to the virus, NIH said.
The patient has not yet been infected with the disease, but is being admitted “out of an abundance of caution” and will be at the NIH Clinical Center for observation, NIH said.
NIH infectious disease chief Dr. Anthony Fauci wouldn’t discuss details about the patient but said that, in general, exposure to Ebola doesn’t necessarily mean someone will become sick.
“When someone is exposed, you want to put them into the best possible situation so if something happens you can take care of them,” Fauci said.
“NIH is taking every precaution to ensure the safety of our patients, NIH staff and the public,” said an agency statement.
Four other Americans aid workers who were infected with Ebola while volunteering in the West African outbreak have been treated at hospitals in Georgia and Nebraska. One remains hospitalized while the others have recovered.
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