Another American doctor helping fight the spread of the Ebola virus in Sierra Leone might have contracted the disease, helping Australia come to a decision to not sending any health professionals to Africa.
The doctor, who was not identified, checked into the National Institutes of Health hospital yesterday where he will undergo experimental testing. Doctors are uncertain at the moment if the doctor actually has the deadly disease yet. If the doctor is found to have the virus, he or she may receive treatment in an isolated room, reports NBC News.
"Out of an abundance of caution, the patient has been admitted to the NIH Clinical Center's special clinical studies unit that is specifically designed to provide high-level isolation capabilities and is staffed by infectious diseases and critical care specialists," NIH said in a statement. "The unit staff is trained in strict infection control practices optimized to prevent spread of potentially transmissible agents such as Ebola."
If this doctor tests positive for Ebola, he or she will be the fourth American to contract the disease while trying to help cure this outbreak. Doctors Kent Brantly and Rick Sacra were treated for the disease, as well as Nancy Writebol, a missionary who worked in a hospital in West Africa.
The experimental drug Zmapp was used by all three victims and they all healed. However, it's still not clear whether the drug is what cured them.
After seeing another American doctor possibly sickened from the deadly virus, the Australian government announced they will not be sending any aid of their own to help with the epidemic.
"The Australian government is not about to risk the health of Australian workers in the absence of credible evacuation plans that could bring our people back to Australia," Bishop tells The Associated Press.
However, the country is helping West Africa financially. Australia announced two weeks ago that it is sending $7 million Australian ($6.4 million U.S.) to the affected area on top of the $1 million Australian it already sent.
The current reported death toll in West Africa from the Ebola virus during this outbreak is 3,083, according to World Health Organization.
