First Ebola Patient Dies in the U.S.

Critical care at Dallas hospital failed to prevent patient from succumbing to virus acquired in Liberia

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The first Ebola patient diagnosed in the U.S. died this morning in Dallas at 7:51 A.M. local time. The sad news was announced by the facility offering his care, Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas, in an emailed statement this morning that read:

“It is with profound sadness and heartfelt disappointment that we must inform you of the death of Thomas Eric Duncan this morning at 7:51 am. Mr. Duncan succumbed to an insidious disease, Ebola. He fought courageously in this battle. 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.”

Texas health official David Lakey, commissioner of the state’s health department, also offered his condolences to the family and said, in a statement, that the past week was an “enormous test of our health system.”

The patient, who had been admitted to the hospital on September 28 after contracting the virus in Liberia, had been placed on a ventilator and was receiving dialysis in the final days before his death.

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