Texas health officials widen search for Ebola patient’s contacts to 100

Public health officials in Texas acknowledged the possibility that someone else could contract Ebola, widening their search Thursday for 100 individuals possibly exposed to the first Ebola patient diagnosed in the U.S.

According to the Dallas County Health and Human Services, this group of 100 potential contacts were identified by the group of 12-18 people who first came into contact with the infected man, identified as Thomas Eric Duncan.

 

“It’s constantly evolving, people are going to get added, people are going to get dropped off,” Dallas County Health and Human Services spokeswoman Erikka Neroes told FoxNews.com. “How many people will contract Ebola, we don’t know that. [There’s a] possibility someone may. We’re out there working to make sure [it’s] under control.”

Five schools in the Dallas Independent School District sent letters home with parents informing them that a student at the individual schools may have been in contact with the Ebola patient. The five students— none of whom showed symptoms— were told to stay at home away from school. The letters noted that “there is no imminent danger to your child.”

The 12-18 person primary contact group is being checked on a daily basis— with their temperatures being checked twice daily— by public health officials. The secondary group of 100 people are being monitored in the form of awareness and education of signs and symptoms. It is not known whether all 100 contacts have been reached out to yet.

“If they haven’t been contacted yet, they will be,” Neroes said.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Dallas County have 20 public health officials on the ground, monitoring contacts, in addition to staff answering phones and fielding questions.

There have been no reports of symptomatic individuals in Dallas County.

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“The important thing is none of the people on any of the lists show any signs or symptoms of Ebola as of yet,” Neroes said. “We all know by now, you can’t catch Ebola without any contact with someone while they are symptomatic, according to the CDC.”

The family of Duncan is under orders to stay at home, in isolation for 21 days, the duration of the Ebola virus incubation period. If they have not become symptomatic after that time, they no longer have to remain in isolation, Neroes said.
  
According to Neroes, the number of those potentially exposed to Ebola will continue to change as the situation evolves.