A patient in a Dallas hospital has been confirmed to have the deadly Ebola virus, News 8 has learned.
That person has been held in "strict isolation" at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas as he or she was evaluated for possible exposure to the virus.
This is the first case of Ebola confirmed in the United States. The Centers for Disease Control will hold a news conference at 4:30 p.m. in Atlanta regarding the diagnosis.
The CDC will decide whether it is necessary to move the patient to another facility. There are five medical facilities in the U.S. that have high level isolation facilities. The CDC will also investigate how many people the patient has had contact with.
In a statement issued Monday night, Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas said the patient was admitted based on symptoms and "recent travel history."
The hospital, located at Greenville Avenue and Walnut Hill Lane in Northeast Dallas, said it's complying with all recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and the Texas Department of Health to ensure the safety of other patients and medical staff.
Zachary Thompson, the director of the Dallas County Health and Human Services, said Tuesday morning the Centers for Disease Control was mobilizing as if the patient had tested positive for the virus.
Thompson said Dallas County is ready to care for the patient.
"This is not Africa," Thompson said. "We have a great infrastructure to deal with an outbreak."
The World Health Organization said it has confirmed more than 3,000 Ebola-related deaths in West Africa during the current outbreak, which has spread to five countries: Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria, Senegal and Sierra Leone.
Fort Worth physician Dr. Kent Brantly, who became infected while working in Liberia, recovered after being moved to a hospital in Atlanta.
Earlier this month, President Barack Obama announced that the U.S. would offer military and medical help to combat the disease in West Africa which has now reached epidemic proportions.
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