The Protect HazMat team clear the contents of the apartment of an Ebola infected health worker in Dallas (Reuters)
Washington:
The second Ebola infection of a health worker in the United States was called unacceptable on Wednesday by a top US doctor, as officials vowed to intensify training of hospital staff.
"What happened there, regardless of the reason, is not acceptable," said Anthony Fauci, head of the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases.
"It is not acceptable that two nurses taking care of a person, because of their exposure were infected," he said on MSNBC television.
The latest case at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas followed the infection announced on Sunday of nurse Nina Pham, who was among more than 70 staff members who helped care for Liberian patient Thomas Eric Duncan.
He was believed to have become infected with Ebola in Liberia, and was hospitalized in Dallas on September 28. Mr Duncan died of Ebola one week ago.
After Mr Pham's Ebola infection was announced on Sunday, Mr Fauci and the director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Tom Frieden, said that a "breach of protocol" must have been to blame.
Mr Pham was wearing the CDC-outlined protective gear, and officials have yet to identify any lapse in procedures, though experts say the mask, shield, gloves and gown can be difficult to put on and remove safely.
The virus is spread through close contact with the bodily fluids of an infected person, and health care workers are particularly at risk because of the high volume of vomit and diarrhea that patients often emit in the late stages of the illness.
Mr Fauci said health authorities were beginning to offer more "proactive training in general, instead of there being passive training, go look at our website or here is a piece of paper, it's going to be very active," to guard against future cases.
"That should not have happened and what the CDC is trying very aggressively to do right now to find out how and what happened and to make sure it doesn't happen again," Mr Fauci said.
On Tuesday, the CDC said it was monitoring 76 health care workers at the Dallas hospital for signs of Ebola infection.
The hemorrhagic virus has killed more than 4,400 people across West Africa since the beginning of this year, in the world's largest outbreak to date.
"What happened there, regardless of the reason, is not acceptable," said Anthony Fauci, head of the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases.
"It is not acceptable that two nurses taking care of a person, because of their exposure were infected," he said on MSNBC television.
The latest case at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas followed the infection announced on Sunday of nurse Nina Pham, who was among more than 70 staff members who helped care for Liberian patient Thomas Eric Duncan.
He was believed to have become infected with Ebola in Liberia, and was hospitalized in Dallas on September 28. Mr Duncan died of Ebola one week ago.
After Mr Pham's Ebola infection was announced on Sunday, Mr Fauci and the director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Tom Frieden, said that a "breach of protocol" must have been to blame.
Mr Pham was wearing the CDC-outlined protective gear, and officials have yet to identify any lapse in procedures, though experts say the mask, shield, gloves and gown can be difficult to put on and remove safely.
The virus is spread through close contact with the bodily fluids of an infected person, and health care workers are particularly at risk because of the high volume of vomit and diarrhea that patients often emit in the late stages of the illness.
Mr Fauci said health authorities were beginning to offer more "proactive training in general, instead of there being passive training, go look at our website or here is a piece of paper, it's going to be very active," to guard against future cases.
"That should not have happened and what the CDC is trying very aggressively to do right now to find out how and what happened and to make sure it doesn't happen again," Mr Fauci said.
On Tuesday, the CDC said it was monitoring 76 health care workers at the Dallas hospital for signs of Ebola infection.
The hemorrhagic virus has killed more than 4,400 people across West Africa since the beginning of this year, in the world's largest outbreak to date.
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