NIH Admits American Ebola Patient, Describes Condition as "Serious"

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) today admitted an American health care worker who tested positive for Ebola virus while volunteering at an Ebola treatment unit in Sierra Leone.

The patient is being treated at the NIH Clinical Center’s Special Clinical Studies Unit, which was designed to provide high-level isolation capabilities and is staffed by infectious diseases and critical care specialists trained in strict infection control practices.

A physician evaluation conducted following the admission determined the patient’s condition to be serious.

The individual is the second Ebola patient to be admitted to the NIH Clinical Center, following the successful treatment of Texas nurse Nina Pham last fall.

The NIH has currently not released any additional details about the patient.