Texas School Kids May Have Been Exposed to Ebola Patient

HOUSTON, Texas — Numerous young children in Dallas may have been exposed to Ebola after having contact with the infected individual. Five children are currently being monitored for the virus. 

A total of 12 to 15 people are currently be watched by health officials for signs of Ebola, according to Politico. The children, who will be monitored for a total of 21 days, may have come in contact with the infected man over the weekend. 

The man was apparently not diagnosed with Ebola during his first visit to the Emergency Room at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital, when he complained about abdominal pain, according to Politico. At that time the man’s travel history in West Africa was not made known to pertinent employees in the ER.

Just two days after his first visit to the ER, the man reportedly came back and was then put into isolation. He remains in critical condition. 

To the knowledge of officials, no one else is ill at this time. 

Dallas County Health and Human Services Director Zachary Thompson told Politico that a second Ebola case is likely. She said, “Let me be real frank to the Dallas County residents: The fact that we have one confirmed case, there may be another case that is a close associate with this particular patient. So this is real. There should be a concern, but it’s contained to the specific family members and close friends at this moment.”

Still, it is not easy to contract Ebola. 

Chris Van Deusen with the Texas Department of State Health Services told Breitbart Texas, “Only people who have come into direct contact with the blood or other body fluids of the Ebola patient while he was sick are at any risk of infection. If that’s not the case, there is zero chance of infection. Local officials (Dallas County HHS) may have information on the number of people being monitored, though I’ll note that’s different that being quarantined.”

Van Deusen did not disclose how many individuals are being quarantined at this time. 

Dallas Public Information Officer Jason Evans told Breitbart Texas that the Ebola patient was staying in Northeast Dallas prior to his diagnosis. According to Politico, around 25,000 residents live in the area where dozens of languages are spoken. 

Follow Kristin Tate on Twitter @KristinBTate.