Dallas Man Dies from Ebola

Oct. 8, 2014

According to Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas, Thomas Eric Duncan passed away this morning at the age of 42. Duncan was the first person to be diagnosed with the Ebola virus in the United States.

“He fought courageously in this battle,” the hospital said in a statement. “Our professionals, the doctors and nurses in the unit, as well as the entire Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas community, are also grieving his passing. We have offered the family our support and condolences at this difficult time.”

Duncan arrived in Dallas last month not long after he tried to help an Ebola-infected woman in Liberia. He was hospitalized since Sept. 28 at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas. He reportedly was on a respirator and kidney dialysis and was taking the experimental drug brincidofovir.

According to Thomas Frieden, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, they are monitoring 48 people in the Dallas area who may have been exposed to Duncan. None of the individuals have displayed any signs of an Ebola infection to date.