# 9820
Yesterday the news broke that for the second time, the NIH will admit and treat an American Healthcare worker infected with the Ebola virus, this time having been air-evac’d overnight from Sierra Leone to their facility in in Bethesda, Md..
Although not exactly routine, the past six months has shown that Ebola cases can be successfully – and safely – treated in modern hospitals.
On October 24th, the NIH released Ms. Nina Pham, the Texas nurse who was admitted 8 days earlier infected with the virus. This NIH facility also admitted and treated two other `high risk exposure’ cases who turned out not to be infected.
This statement from the NIH.
For Immediate Release: Friday, March 13, 2015
UPDATE: American healthcare worker with Ebola virus disease arrives safely at NIH Clinical Center
An American healthcare worker who tested positive for Ebola virus while volunteering services in an Ebola treatment unit in Sierra Leone has arrived safely at the NIH Clinical Center for care and treatment. The individual was transferred from Sierra Leone via private charter medevac in isolation and admitted to the NIH Clinical Center at 4:44 a.m. ET. The patient’s condition is still being evaluated. No additional details about the patient are being shared at this time.
The patient has been admitted to the NIH Clinical Center’s Special Clinical Studies Unit (SCSU) that is specifically designed to provide high-level isolation capabilities and is staffed by infectious diseases and critical care specialists. The unit staff is trained in strict infection control practices optimized to prevent spread of potentially transmissible agents such as Ebola. NIH is taking every precaution to ensure the safety of our patients, NIH staff, and the public.
This will be the second patient with Ebola virus disease admitted to the NIH Clinical Center. An earlier patient was treated successfully and released free of disease. The NIH Clinical Center also previously admitted two individuals who experienced high-risk exposures to the Ebola virus while working on the Ebola response in West Africa, but who were ultimately found not to be infected.
