Texas: Health care worker tests positive for Ebola
"Confirmatory testing will be conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta," Texas Department of State Health Services said in a statement issued on Sunday.
The health care worker reported a low grade fever Friday night and was isolated and referred for testing, it said.
The preliminary test result was received late Saturday.
"We knew a second case could be a reality, and we've been preparing for this possibility," said Dr. David Lakey, commissioner of the Texas Department of State Health Services. "We are broadening our team in Dallas and working with extreme diligence to prevent further spread."
"Health officials have interviewed the patient and are identifying any contacts or potential exposures. People who had contact with the health care worker after symptoms emerged will be monitored based on the nature of their interactions and the potential they were exposed to the virus," read the statement.
Ebola is spread through direct contact with bodily fluids of a sick person or exposure to contaminated objects such as needles. People are not contagious before symptoms such as fever develop.
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