CDC Director Brushes Off Concerns that Ebola Could Come Across Southern U.S. Border

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Tom Frieden, the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, brushed off concerns that the Ebola virus could come through the United States’ southern border, Thursday after testifying about the threat of Ebola before a House panel.

“That is not happening,” Frieden said, when asked — during an impromptu press conference– about concerns that Ebola could come across the southern border.

“As far as we know the two patients flown in from Liberia are the first two patients in this hemisphere ever to have Ebola,” he added.

Frieden, during the press conference, also avoided answering Breitbart News’ questions about the U.S. cities in which there have been patients tested for Ebola. 

“We’ve had already five patients in the U.S. who have come from countries in West Africa — Liberia, Guinea, and Sierra Leone — all five have tested negative for Ebola. Some have been in the press, some have not. This may happen increasingly in the coming days, weeks and even months. It is going to take time to get this outbreak under control,” Frieden said, when Breitbart News asked in what cities and hospitals the patients were tested.

When asked again by Breitbart News to name the cities, Frieden responded “I would have to get back to you.” 

In his testimony before the House Foreign Affairs subcommittee on Africa Wednesday, Frieden said that the five patients that were tested for Ebola turned out to have other ailments including malaria and the flu. 

“This is an unprecedented outbreak of Ebola, but It can be stopped. It’s going to be a long hard fight, but we are there. We are surging our response and we are doing what we can to help stop it at the source in Africa and protect Americans here,” Frieden stressed during the press conference.

Frieden added that the U.S. has enough supplies to treat potential victims in the U.S. 

“In terms of the supplies, we have plenty of supplies to treat patients in this country,” he said. “As I said in the hearing, it is not impossible that a traveler from West Arica could come into this country, be diagnosed, and potentially if there is a delay in diagnosis cause infections in healthcare workers or family members. But I am confident we will not has a significant risk from Ebola in this country.”