EBOLA Dr treated for Ebola now back in hospital

[Sherrynboo]

SHARE SELECTION


MailOnline - news, sport, celebrity, science and health stories

Home
U.K.
News
Sports
U.S. Showbiz
Australia
Femail
Health
Science
Money
Video
Travel
Columnists

News Home
Arts
Headlines
Pictures
Most read
News Board
Wires

Login

Feedback
DailyMail
Sunday, Oct 5th 2014 5PM 60°F 8PM 69°F 5-Day Forecast

PICTURE EXCLUSIVE: The moment Ebola landed in America. 15 days ago virus victim Thomas Duncan was warmly greeted by a relative at Dallas airport. Today he is in a critical condition and she is just one of a hundred people he put at risk too
American 'cured' of Ebola back in isolation after just two weeks: Fears for doctor as he is readmitted to hospital suffering from a persistent cough and fever
BzIRH5nIEAA3OXd.NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) ? A sick passenger on board a plane that landed at Newark Liberty International Airport, who the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention investigated for possible Ebola, does not have the virus, according to the New Jersey Department of Health. University Hospital in Newark said the man?s symptoms were found to be consistent with a treatable condition unrelated to the deadly Ebola virus and that he would be released with continued monitoring. The passenger was moved to an area hospital, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey said Saturday afternoon. University Hospital confirmed two patients, a child and an adult, were transported from Newark International Airport to University Hospital around 2:30 p.m. The child was found to be asymptomatic, the hospital said. Port Authority officials said a Liberian passenger on board United Flight 998, inbound from Brussels, was vomiting aboard the plane. Ebola fears sweep the nation as 100 new potential victims reported by hospitals on high alert for deadly virus
'I think I'm in trouble': Father reveals terrifying last call of NBC reporter with Ebola as he's flown to U.S. tonight for life saving treatment
DALLAS, TX - OCTOBER 03: A hazmat team member arrives to clean a unit at the Ivy Apartments, where the confirmed Ebola virus patient was staying, on October 3, 2014 in Dallas, Texas. The first confirmed Ebola virus patient in the United States was staying with family members at The Ivy Apartment complex before being treated at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas. State and local officials are working with federal officials to monitor other individuals that had contact with the confirmed patient. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images) Texas officials STILL hunting for people who came in contact with Ebola victim: List of 'most at-risk individuals' now down to 50 in Dallas, CDC says
Director of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Dr. Tom Frieden speaks during a news conference after confirming that a patient at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital has tested positive for Ebola, the first case of the disease to be diagnosed in the United States, announced Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2014, in Atlanta. The person, an adult who was not publicly identified, developed symptoms days after returning to Texas from Liberia and showed no symptoms on the plane, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (AP Photo/John Bazemore) 'We can't just seal off the country': Travel ban could only increase Ebola outbreak by restricting care to those in need, CDC director says
Aaron Yah for Keith from facebook profile EXCLUSIVE: Friend of Texas Ebola patient who visited him in hospital has been told he can return to work as a nursing assistant... but his family must remain in quarantine
Furious Ben Affleck blasts Bill Maher and guests on-air after they claimed Islam is the 'motherload of bad ideas' and compared religion to being in the Mafia
BEN AFFLECK \nCharacter(s): Nick Dunne \nFilm 'GONE GIRL' (2014) \nDirected By DAVID FINCHER \n26 September 2014 \nSAK42261 \nAllstar/NEW REGENCY PICTURES \n \n(USA 2014) \n \n**WARNING** This Photograph is for editorial use only and is the copyright of NEW REGENCY PICTURES and/or the Photographer assigned by the Film or Production Company & can only be reproduced by publications in conjunction with the promotion of the above Film. A Mandatory Credit To NEW REGENCY PICTURES is required. The Photographer should also be credited when known. No commercial use can be granted without written authority from the Film Company. The horror! Gone Girl gets beaten by scary film Annabelle on opening day at the box office
MH370 could be found in a matter of days: Search vessels join the deep-sea search within reach of what could be the final resting place of missing flight
'All is good': Chilling last text sent to a friend by fugitive survivalist right before he ambushed two troopers, leaving one dead
Top civil rights lawyer accused of raping woman at his Manhattan home after Rev Al Sharpton's star-studded 60th birthday party
'Our hearts ache for you to be granted your freedom': Mother of American ISIS captive Peter Kassig dons headscarf and pleads with his captors to 'show mercy' in video
Did Kurds execute two British ISIS fighters? Former SAS soldier claims he saw UK jihadis captured by Kurdish forces in Iraq desert - and believes they were killed
Video from Youtube showing Alan Henning being executed / beheaded by ISIL "Jihadi" John.Mailplus Videograb -_00010.jpg 'They abandoned him and left him out there': Fury of Alan Henning's family over Britain's failure to mount a rescue before aid worker was beheaded by ISIS monster Jihadi John
Photographer's prison hell at the mercy of 'Pinocchio' the ISIS torturer: Defector says hostage John Cantlie was waterboarded and given electric shocks by jihadi who always lied
03/10/14 Video from Youtube showing Alan Henning being executed / beheaded by ISIL "Jihadi" John.Mailplus Videograb -_00010.jpg British Prime Minister orders spy chiefs to find ISIS executioner Jihadi John dead or alive after latest Briton Alan Henning is killed in violent video
Reaper drones pinpoint Jihadi John: Terrorist has been tracked by British forces but security chiefs fear 'kill or capture' mission would end in failure
Adventurer attempting to RUN 1,033 miles from Florida to Bermuda in a giant inflatable bubble is rescued by the Coast Guard - three days after he refused help and asked for directions
video file of Sue and John Graham reading a statement regarding the continuing search for their daughter, Hannah. This is a raw file for your use. If you do use this file, please attribute it to the City of Charlottesville. A reminder that the tip line number is 434-295-3851. 'Please, please, please help end this nightmare': Hannah Graham's parents put out a second heartbreaking appeal for information as the search for their daughter stretches into its fourth week
Up to an hour of delays on all American Airlines flights from a terminal at JFK after 'an airline passenger breached security to take a cigarette break'
Meet Google's self-titled 'Security Princess:' Iranian-American hacker, 31, protects the tech giant from cyber criminals
Former Haitian dictator Jean-Claude 'Baby Doc' Duvalier dies from heart attack at home near Port-au-Prince
Formula 1 star Jules Bianchi 'fighting for life' with severe head injuries after car spins off rain-soaked track into clear-up team at Japanese Grand Prix

Previous
Next
American 'cured' of Ebola back in isolation after just two weeks: Fears for doctor as he is readmitted to hospital suffering from a persistent cough and fever

Dr Rick Sacra, 51, contracted the deadly infection while working in Liberia
Was treated at the University of Nebraska Medical Center and released
Is back in the UMass Memorial Medical Center with a respiratory illness
Doctors are performing checks to make sure the infection has not returned
However staff at the facility are confident he has not relapsed

By Wills Robinson for MailOnline

Published: 22:33 EST, 4 October 2014 | Updated: 08:20 EST, 5 October 2014

781 shares

135

View comments

Readmitted: Dr Rick Sacra, who contracted the deadly virus while working in Liberia has returned to hospital suffering from persistant cough and chest pains
+3

Readmitted: Dr Rick Sacra, who contracted the deadly virus while working in Liberia has returned to hospital suffering from persistant cough and chest pains

The third US patient to be treated for Ebola on American soil has been isolated again in hospital after suffering a persistent cough and fever.

Dr Rick Sacra, 51, who contracted the deadly virus while working in Liberia was readmitted to UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester, Massachusetts, two weeks after he was cleared.

He was treated at the University of Nebraska Medical Center for the infection last month and was released.

Doctors are said to be performing tests on him to make sure Ebola has not returned, however they claim he has not relapsed - also stressing that the public should not be concerned.

Medical Director Dr Phil Smith told WCVB: 'Even though the likelihood of Dr. Sacra having a relapse of Ebola is extremely low, doctors will run tests to be 100 percent sure.

'Because of his recent battle with the Ebola virus, his immune system is compromised. The symptoms he has are indicative of a respiratory illness and are not those of someone suffering from Ebola,' he added.

The hospital confirmed they had a patient in isolation, adding that they had a 'travel history to and from West Africa', but confirmed it was not an Ebola case.

Peggy Thrappas said in a statement: 'We are working closely with the Centers for Disease Control and the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, and carefully following specific plans and guidelines for the management of patients with suspected Ebola.'

At the end of September, following his release from hospital, Dr Sacra told reporters he wanted to return to the disease-ravaged areas to help fight the outbreak.
RELATED ARTICLES

Previous
1
2
Next

BzIRH5nIEAA3OXd.NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) ? A sick passenger on board a plane that landed at Newark Liberty International Airport, who the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention investigated for possible Ebola, does not have the virus, according to the New Jersey Department of Health. University Hospital in Newark said the man?s symptoms were found to be consistent with a treatable condition unrelated to the deadly Ebola virus and that he would be released with continued monitoring. The passenger was moved to an area hospital, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey said Saturday afternoon. University Hospital confirmed two patients, a child and an adult, were transported from Newark International Airport to University Hospital around 2:30 p.m. The child was found to be asymptomatic, the hospital said. Port Authority officials said a Liberian passenger on board United Flight 998, inbound from Brussels, was vomiting aboard the plane. Ebola fears sweep the nation as 100 new potential victims reported by hospitals on high alert for... United Airlines jets are parked on the tarmac at Newark Liberty International Airport, Tuesday, July 22, 2014, in Newark, N.J. In a sign of increased caution about flying near combat zones, U.S. and European airlines halted flights to Israel Tuesday after a rocket landed near Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion Airport. Delta Air Lines and United Airlines suspended service between the U.S. and Israel indefinitely. The actions come days after a Malaysia Airlines jet was shot down over eastern Ukraine with 298 people on board. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez) Ebola scare at Newark: CDC officials rush to airport in full hazmat suits and detain passengers... PICTURE EXCLUSIVE: Moment Ebola victim arrived in Dallas and greeted smiling relative after flight... Aaron Yah for Keith from facebook profile EXCLUSIVE: Friend of Texas Ebola patient who visited him in hospital has been told he can return to...
U.S. Ebola patient now listed in critical condition at Texas hospital Obama ready to deploy 4,000 troops to Ebola-ravaged regions as officials urge calm over U.S. case

He had fallen ill while working at a hospital in Liberia, where doctors have been fighting a historic outbreak of the deadly virus.

'The odds of my ending up back there are pretty high. I don't have any specific plans, but that's where my heart is. 'It's heartbreaking for me to see Liberians suffering from Ebola and other diseases right now.


Sherry in GA

 

[Dobbin]

I see he's at UMass Memorial at Worcester.

This is being broadcast on US Media Sources. Below the WMUR Manchester, NH report.

http://www.wmur.com/health/former-us-ebola-patient-back-in-hospital/28412850

Owner should know this. He was watching the news in his man-cave this morning. (I smell his coffee!!)

Dobbin

 

[FREEBIRD]

http://www.ketv.com/news/dr-rick-sacra-admitted-to-mass-hospital-amid-pneumonia-concerns/28412058


Dr. Rick Sacra admitted to Mass. hospital amid pneumonia concerns
Published 10:18 PM CDT Oct 04, 2014


WORCESTER, Mass. —The Massachusetts doctor who contracted Ebola overseas before undergoing treatment in Omaha is back in an East Coast hospital.

The 51-year-old aid worker being treated for Ebola at the Nebraska Medical Center is now free of the virus.

SIM, the organization through which Sacra worked in Liberia, confirmed the 51-year-old's concern about a persistent cough, worried about developing pneumonia.

In a news release, doctors said it's a possibility since his immune system was so compromised while battling Ebola.

Another American infected with the virus overseas, Ashoka Mukpo, will be treated at the Nebraska Medical Center. He's expected to arrive on Monday.

 

[LightEcho]

This guy is now in my neck of the woods.

He got the experimental vaccine. What other viruses were in that vaccine?

Dr Sacra was the third patient in the US to be treated for Ebola. He returned to his home in Massachusetts on September 24 following three weeks of treatment.

He was kept in the special isolation unit, where he received an experimental Tekmira Pharmaceuticals drug called TKM-Ebola for a week.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...ing-persistent-cough-fever.html#ixzz3FHTQzV1s
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook

 

[FREEBIRD]

http://www.livewellnebraska.com/hea...cle_d658f5d0-4c3c-11e4-8b7e-001a4bcf6878.html

Dr. Rick Sacra admitted to Massachusetts hospital; doctors doubt recurrence of Ebola
Posted: Saturday, October 4, 2014 10:08 pm

(AP) WORCESTER, Mass. — A Massachusetts doctor and missionary who was successfully treated at the Nebraska Medical Center for Ebola he contracted in Africa is back in a hospital with what appears to be a respiratory infection, but doctors don't suspect a recurrence of the virus.

UMass Memorial Medical Center said in a statement that Dr. Rick Sacra was hospitalized Saturday and is in stable condition. He has a cough and conjunctivitis, commonly known as pinkeye, hospital officials said.

Sacra will remain in isolation until doctors have confirmation from tests by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that he is not infected with the virus, the hospital said. Doctors expect to know with certainty by late Monday.

Sacra, 51, was released virus-free Sept. 25 after nearly three weeks at the medical center in Omaha.

"We are isolating Dr. Sacra to be cautious pending final confirmation of his illness," said Dr. Robert Finberg, who is heading Sacra's medical team. "We think it is highly unlikely that he has Ebola. We suspect he has an upper respiratory tract infection."

Sacra spent much of the last two decades in Liberia, working with a missionary group. He also works at Family Health Center of Worcester.

Bruce Johnson, president of the SIM USA missionary group, said in a news release that Sacra first visited a Boston-area hospital emergency room Saturday morning because of a persistent cough and low-grade fever and concern that he might be developing pneumonia. Johnson said Sacra was transferred to UMass Memorial for observation as a precaution under CDC guidelines.

Johnson said Dr. Phil Smith of the Nebraska Medical Center told SIM that Sacra's recent viral illness lowered his immune system but his current symptoms aren't those of someone suffering from Ebola.

"Dr. Sacra did the right thing by going to the hospital," Smith said in a statement released by SIM. "He's been through a lot over the last month, and he wanted to be sure his respiratory illness didn't worsen. Being a doctor himself, he knows the importance of preventative care."

 

[prepgirl44]

Pneumonia is not surprising at all, given what he's just been through. His entire body is in a weakened state.

 

[TerryK]

Pneumonia is not surprising at all, given what he's just been through. His entire body is in a weakened state.

^This is most likely.
A compromised immune system makes him very susceptible to any infection.

Although an interesting fact is that Ebola can remain in semen up to 3 months after a patient has recovered.
So does that mean if he had sex with his wife, could he infect her up to 3 months after he got out of the hospital??

 

[LightEcho]

Body may be weakened but his immune system has been on high alert and pumping full steam. What they will find out is that ebola will have a latent state where it is invisible in tissue not visited by white blood cells. After the immune system subsides, I expect recurrence of this virus. I think many viruses do this, but they are not killers like ebola. If his immune system is down, he will get this thing coming back fierce.

For them to say "cured" is very gutsy... maybe even foolhardy.

 

[prepgirl44]

^This is most likely.
A compromised immune system makes him very susceptible to any infection.

Although an interesting fact is that Ebola can remain in semen up to 3 months after a patient has recovered.
So does that mean if he had sex with his wife, could he infect her up to 3 months after he got out of the hospital??

Yes. That's why patients are directed to use condoms post infection.

 

[sy32478]

So where has he been during the two week period form when he was cleared to when he went back into hospital?????

 

[Hansa44]

If the virus is still in his semen up to 3 months then it is still in his body. What kind of double talk is this?

How can he be cured if he's not?

 

[Tom McDowell]

Rebola.

===

.

 

[Intestinal Fortitude]

If the virus is still in his semen up to 3 months then it is still in his body. What kind of double talk is this?

How can he be cured if he's not?

There is no cure. Some survive, most do not.

 

[Satanta]

Yes. That's why patients are directed to use condoms post infection.

I would think "Abstinence" would be better advice. Condoms are not 100% ad they break.

 

[Melodi]

The problem is, there simply have not been enough patients in the first world who have "recovered" and been properly followed up on, to know for certain if say Ebola itself may have a secondary (probably often less severe) wave in some people or not. It also would not be certain if the person having such a "second wave" was contagious or not, in Africa under third world conditions, there probably are not a lot of chances to find out. They have noted the spread during sex for three months, which means there must be some pockets of live virus somewhere in the body, even if the person is no longer sick.

Sometimes with diseases, there really is a gray area between sick and well, "cured" or "not-cured" and as more people survive the disease in places where follow up testing is possible a lot of these questions about Ebola are more likely to get answered because they are indeed, good questions.

The most important thing really is, if Ebola (like Malaria and TB) tends to hang around in the body; sometimes lurking in small pockets and breaking out again in less-intense presentation of the original illness; is that person back to being infectious to others or not? My hunch is it depends on the degree of relapse (if this is happening) and just like Ebola can be very hard to tell apart from Malaria with an actual test; it may be very hard to tell when a person is having a secondary infection because their immune system is low and when they may actually being having an Ebola relapse (if these happen) simply by looking at them or during a regular medical exam. It probably will take a blood test to determine for certain what is going on.

If and I do say IF, secondary waves are found to be possible or likely and IF sometimes people are contagious than the whole public health nightmare just got a lot worse; because really the only things to do at that point is try to require those who recover to remain essentially in at least home quarantine (or at "virus camps") for at least three months AFTER they are released from direct care. The question then becomes, if they couldn't get one tiny family out of virus infected plague pit of an apartment or even find someone to feed them for five days until a judge and a local church stepped in to help; how on Earth is even the United States going to support people and their families while they are not able to work or even go outside for three months after a hospital discharge?

While Ebola on its own is perfectly capable of shutting down a country if it gets bad enough; even a somewhat "contained" epidemic of a few hundred thousand people could really become an economic nightmare if say 50 percent (or even 30 percent) of people do recover but then can't work, go to school or even shop for themselves for 3 months afterwards.

And if these people are not supported, they will simply en mass refuse to stay put because they and their families need to eat; much like a member of Duncan's family went out for food after a couple of day of nothing being brought to them.

This may or may not even be a problem; but it is the sort of unexpected side effect of a disaster situation that often gets overlooked at first until it really gets out of hand; I mean obviously there are more important issues for now but this really is something to consider and I'm sure other things may come up as well.