An American freelance cameraman working in Liberia for NBC News has tested positive for Ebola and will be flown back to the United States for treatment, NBC News reported on Thursday.
The freelancer who contracted the virus was hired Tuesday to be a second cameraman for NBC News Chief Medical Editor and Correspondent Dr. Nancy Snyderman in the country. Snyderman is with three other NBC News employees on assignment in Monrovia, covering the Ebola outbreak for the network. The freelancer's name is being withheld on the request of the family.
Symptoms began on Wednesday, with the freelancer feeling tired and achy. He then discovered he was running a slight fever during a routine temperature check. Fearing Ebola, he immediately quarantined himself and asked for medical attention. The 33 year-old went to a Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) treatment center on Thursday to be tested for the virus. In just under 12 hours, the test results came back positive.
Snyderman reassured that the other members of the NBC News team are feeling fine and not showing symptoms of the Ebola virus, but are doing above and beyond the standards for protecting everyone around them.
The cameraman's infection is the fifth American that became infected Ebola while in West Africa. He has been working in Liberia on various projects for the past three years and is also a writer.
"We are doing everything we can to get him the best care possible. He will be flown back to the United States for treatment at a medical center that is equipped to handle Ebola patients," NBC News President Deborah Turness said in a note to staff.
