Friday 5 September 2014

Ebola patient arrives in Nebraska





  • Dr. Rick Sacra has been flown to Nebraska for treatment

  • Sacra was stationed in Liberia when he caught the Ebola virus

  • An aid organization says he will have better access to care in the U.S.

  • Sacra is the third American with the virus to return to U.S. for treatment




(CNN) -- Another American doctor infected with the deadly Ebola virus has arrived home for treatment in the United States.


A plane carrying Dr. Rick Sacra landed Friday morning in Omaha, Nebraska, and he was then was taken to Omaha's Nebraska Medical Center, center spokeswoman Jenny Nowatzke said.





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His doctors in Nebraska said they are treating him with "aggressive supportive care," including fluids and electrolytes, and they are continuing to examine him to make sure nothing else is wrong. The doctors said they are exploring "experimental options," calling on experts throughout the world to see what experimental therapeutics might work best and what treatment is "most promising."


Sacra, the third American with Ebola to return to the United States for treatment, was stationed in Liberia when he was exposed to the virus.


His wife, Debbie Sacra, said he was "clearly sick" but was in "good spirits" and was able to walk onto the plane in Liberia before the flight to Nebraska. "We are really encouraged by that news and are looking forward to reuniting with him," she said.


When Sacra's temperature went up, he sent the president of SIM, the aid organization he works for, an email that read:


"To all of you at SIM, and to my colleagues here in Liberia at ELWA Hospital, I apologize," read a tearful Bruce Johnson, president of SIM USA. He went on to explain that Sacra is a humble man and would be embarrassed by the global media attention. He said Sacra was concerned that the attention on his case would disrupt broader patient care at ELWA Hospital in Liberia.


The email went on to say: "Regarding evacuation: I know and accept that there is no easy solution for an evacuation, so I don't expect one. Jesus is right here with me in Liberia!"


As soon as the physician was symptomatic, he was admitted locally to an Ebola case management center near a hospital in Monrovia where he has served for 15 years.


"Rick was receiving excellent care from our SIM/ELWA staff in Liberia at our Ebola 2 Care Center," Johnson said. "They all love and admire him deeply. However, the Nebraska Medical Center provides advanced monitoring equipment and wider availability of treatment options."


What to know about the killer disease


Sacra, who is from Holden, Massachusetts, was not treating Ebola patients directly. Instead, he was delivering babies at a general hospital in Monrovia, Johnson said.


"I am surrounded by friends and family and the body of Christ, who are a great encouragement and who are praying fervently for Rick's recovery along with me," Debbie Sacra said in a statement. "We are trusting in God to be with Rick and us through this difficult circumstance."


She will be traveling to Nebraska this weekend, Johnson said.


"Rick would want me to urge you to remember that there are many people in Liberia who are suffering in this epidemic and others who are not receiving standard health care because clinics and hospitals have been forced to close. West Africa is on the verge of a humanitarian crisis, and the world needs to respond compassionately and generously."









Medical workers from the Liberian Red Cross carry the body of an Ebola victim Thursday, September 4, in Banjol, Liberia. Health officials say the current Ebola outbreak in West Africa is the deadliest ever. The virus has killed more than 1,900 people there since December, according to the World Health Organization.Medical workers from the Liberian Red Cross carry the body of an Ebola victim Thursday, September 4, in Banjol, Liberia. Health officials say the current Ebola outbreak in West Africa is the deadliest ever. The virus has killed more than 1,900 people there since December, according to the World Health Organization.



Health workers in Monrovia, Liberia, place a corpse into a body bag on September 4.Health workers in Monrovia, Liberia, place a corpse into a body bag on September 4.



A rally against the Ebola virus is held in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, on September 4.A rally against the Ebola virus is held in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, on September 4.



After an Ebola case was confirmed in Senegal, people load cars with household items as they prepare to cross into Guinea from the border town of Diaobe, Senegal, on Wednesday, September 3. Senegal has since closed its borders.After an Ebola case was confirmed in Senegal, people load cars with household items as they prepare to cross into Guinea from the border town of Diaobe, Senegal, on Wednesday, September 3. Senegal has since closed its borders.



Crowds cheer and celebrate in the streets Saturday, August 30, after Liberian authorities reopened the West Point slum in Monrovia. The military had been enforcing a quarantine on West Point, fearing a spread of the Ebola virus.Crowds cheer and celebrate in the streets Saturday, August 30, after Liberian authorities reopened the West Point slum in Monrovia. The military had been enforcing a quarantine on West Point, fearing a spread of the Ebola virus.



A ambulance leaves the University Hospital Fann in Dakar, Senegal, were a man was being treated for symptoms of the Ebola virus on Friday, August 29.A ambulance leaves the University Hospital Fann in Dakar, Senegal, were a man was being treated for symptoms of the Ebola virus on Friday, August 29.



A health worker wearing a protective suit conducts an Ebola prevention drill at the port in Monrovia on August 29. A health worker wearing a protective suit conducts an Ebola prevention drill at the port in Monrovia on August 29.



Senegalese Health Minister Awa Marie Coll-Seck gives a news conference August 29 to confirm the first case of Ebola in Senegal. She announced that a young Guinean had tested positive for the deadly virus.Senegalese Health Minister Awa Marie Coll-Seck gives a news conference August 29 to confirm the first case of Ebola in Senegal. She announced that a young Guinean had tested positive for the deadly virus.



Volunteers working with the bodies of Ebola victims in Kenema, Sierra Leone, sterilize their uniforms on Sunday, August 24. Volunteers working with the bodies of Ebola victims in Kenema, Sierra Leone, sterilize their uniforms on Sunday, August 24.



A Liberian health worker checks people for symptoms of Ebola at a checkpoint near the international airport in Dolo Town, Liberia, on August 24.A Liberian health worker checks people for symptoms of Ebola at a checkpoint near the international airport in Dolo Town, Liberia, on August 24.



A guard stands at a checkpoint Saturday, August 23, between the quarantined cities of Kenema and Kailahun in Sierra Leone.A guard stands at a checkpoint Saturday, August 23, between the quarantined cities of Kenema and Kailahun in Sierra Leone.



A burial team from the Liberian Ministry of Health unloads bodies of Ebola victims onto a funeral pyre at a crematorium in Marshall, Liberia, on Friday, August 22.A burial team from the Liberian Ministry of Health unloads bodies of Ebola victims onto a funeral pyre at a crematorium in Marshall, Liberia, on Friday, August 22.



A humanitarian group worker, right, throws water in a small bag to West Point residents behind the fence of a holding area on August 22. Residents of the quarantined Monrovia slum were waiting for a second consignment of food from the Liberian government.A humanitarian group worker, right, throws water in a small bag to West Point residents behind the fence of a holding area on August 22. Residents of the quarantined Monrovia slum were waiting for a second consignment of food from the Liberian government.



Dr. Kent Brantly leaves Emory University Hospital on Thursday, August 21, after being declared no longer infectious from the Ebola virus. Brantly was one of two American missionaries brought to Emory for treatment of the deadly virus.Dr. Kent Brantly leaves Emory University Hospital on Thursday, August 21, after being declared no longer infectious from the Ebola virus. Brantly was one of two American missionaries brought to Emory for treatment of the deadly virus.



Brantly, right, hugs a member of the Emory University Hospital staff after being released from treatment in Atlanta.Brantly, right, hugs a member of the Emory University Hospital staff after being released from treatment in Atlanta.



Family members of West Point district commissioner Miata Flowers flee the slum in Monrovia while being escorted by the Ebola Task Force on Wednesday, August 20.Family members of West Point district commissioner Miata Flowers flee the slum in Monrovia while being escorted by the Ebola Task Force on Wednesday, August 20.



An Ebola Task Force soldier beats a local resident while enforcing a quarantine on the West Point slum on August 20.An Ebola Task Force soldier beats a local resident while enforcing a quarantine on the West Point slum on August 20.



Local residents gather around a very sick Saah Exco, 10, in a back alley of the West Point slum on Tuesday, August 19. The boy was one of the patients that was pulled out of a holding center for suspected Ebola patients after the facility was overrun and closed by a mob on August 16. A local clinic then refused to treat Saah, according to residents, because of the danger of infection. Although he was never tested for Ebola, Saah's mother and brother died in the holding center.Local residents gather around a very sick Saah Exco, 10, in a back alley of the West Point slum on Tuesday, August 19. The boy was one of the patients that was pulled out of a holding center for suspected Ebola patients after the facility was overrun and closed by a mob on August 16. A local clinic then refused to treat Saah, according to residents, because of the danger of infection. Although he was never tested for Ebola, Saah's mother and brother died in the holding center.



A burial team wearing protective clothing retrieves the body of a 60-year-old Ebola victim from his home near Monrovia on Sunday, August 17. A burial team wearing protective clothing retrieves the body of a 60-year-old Ebola victim from his home near Monrovia on Sunday, August 17.



lija Siafa, 6, stands in the rain with his 10-year-old sister, Josephine, while waiting outside Doctors Without Borders' Ebola treatment center in Monrovia on August 17. The newly built facility will initially have 120 beds, making it the largest-ever facility for Ebola treatment and isolation. lija Siafa, 6, stands in the rain with his 10-year-old sister, Josephine, while waiting outside Doctors Without Borders' Ebola treatment center in Monrovia on August 17. The newly built facility will initially have 120 beds, making it the largest-ever facility for Ebola treatment and isolation.



Brett Adamson, a staff member from Doctors Without Borders, hands out water to sick Liberians hoping to enter the new Ebola treatment center on August 17.Brett Adamson, a staff member from Doctors Without Borders, hands out water to sick Liberians hoping to enter the new Ebola treatment center on August 17.



Workers prepare the new Ebola treatment center on August 17.Workers prepare the new Ebola treatment center on August 17.



A body, reportedly a victim of Ebola, lies on a street corner in Monrovia on Saturday, August 16. A body, reportedly a victim of Ebola, lies on a street corner in Monrovia on Saturday, August 16.



Liberian police depart after firing shots in the air while trying to protect an Ebola burial team in the West Point slum of Monrovia on August 16. A crowd of several hundred local residents reportedly drove away the burial team and their police escort. The mob then forced open an Ebola isolation ward and took patients out, saying the Ebola epidemic is a hoax.Liberian police depart after firing shots in the air while trying to protect an Ebola burial team in the West Point slum of Monrovia on August 16. A crowd of several hundred local residents reportedly drove away the burial team and their police escort. The mob then forced open an Ebola isolation ward and took patients out, saying the Ebola epidemic is a hoax.



A crowd enters the grounds of an Ebola isolation center in the West Point slum on August 16. The mob was reportedly shouting, "No Ebola in West Point."A crowd enters the grounds of an Ebola isolation center in the West Point slum on August 16. The mob was reportedly shouting, "No Ebola in West Point."



A health worker disinfects a corpse after a man died in a classroom being used as an Ebola isolation ward Friday, August 15, in Monrovia.A health worker disinfects a corpse after a man died in a classroom being used as an Ebola isolation ward Friday, August 15, in Monrovia.



A boy tries to prepare his father before they are taken to an Ebola isolation ward August 15 in Monrovia.A boy tries to prepare his father before they are taken to an Ebola isolation ward August 15 in Monrovia.



Kenyan health officials take passengers' temperature as they arrive at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport on Thursday, August 14, in Nairobi, Kenya.Kenyan health officials take passengers' temperature as they arrive at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport on Thursday, August 14, in Nairobi, Kenya.



A hearse carries the coffin of Spanish priest Miguel Pajares after he died at a Madrid hospital on Tuesday, August 12. Pajares, 75, contracted Ebola while he was working as a missionary in Liberia.A hearse carries the coffin of Spanish priest Miguel Pajares after he died at a Madrid hospital on Tuesday, August 12. Pajares, 75, contracted Ebola while he was working as a missionary in Liberia.



A member of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention leads a training session on Ebola infection control Monday, August 11, in Lagos, Nigeria.A member of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention leads a training session on Ebola infection control Monday, August 11, in Lagos, Nigeria.



Health workers in Kenema, Sierra Leone, screen people for the Ebola virus on Saturday, August 9, before they enter the Kenema Government Hospital.Health workers in Kenema, Sierra Leone, screen people for the Ebola virus on Saturday, August 9, before they enter the Kenema Government Hospital.



A health worker at the Kenema Government Hospital carries equipment used to decontaminate clothing and equipment on August 9.A health worker at the Kenema Government Hospital carries equipment used to decontaminate clothing and equipment on August 9.



Health care workers wear protective gear at the Kenema Government Hospital on August 9.Health care workers wear protective gear at the Kenema Government Hospital on August 9.



Paramedics in protective suits move Pajares, the infected Spanish priest, at Carlos III Hospital in Madrid on Thursday, August 7. He died five days later.Paramedics in protective suits move Pajares, the infected Spanish priest, at Carlos III Hospital in Madrid on Thursday, August 7. He died five days later.



Nurses carry the body of an Ebola victim from a house outside Monrovia on Wednesday, August 6.Nurses carry the body of an Ebola victim from a house outside Monrovia on Wednesday, August 6.



A Nigerian health official wears protective gear August 6 at Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos.A Nigerian health official wears protective gear August 6 at Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos.



Officials with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta sit in on a conference call about Ebola with CDC team members deployed in West Africa on Tuesday, August 5.Officials with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta sit in on a conference call about Ebola with CDC team members deployed in West Africa on Tuesday, August 5.



Aid worker Nancy Writebol, wearing a protective suit, gets wheeled on a gurney into Emory University Hospital in Atlanta on August 5. A medical plane flew Writebol from Liberia to the United States after she and her colleague Dr. Kent Brantly were infected with the Ebola virus in the West African country. Aid worker Nancy Writebol, wearing a protective suit, gets wheeled on a gurney into Emory University Hospital in Atlanta on August 5. A medical plane flew Writebol from Liberia to the United States after she and her colleague Dr. Kent Brantly were infected with the Ebola virus in the West African country.



Nigerian health officials are on hand to screen passengers at Murtala Muhammed International Airport on Monday, August 4.Nigerian health officials are on hand to screen passengers at Murtala Muhammed International Airport on Monday, August 4.



A man gets sprayed with disinfectant Sunday, August 3, in Monrovia.A man gets sprayed with disinfectant Sunday, August 3, in Monrovia.



Dr. Kent Brantly, right, gets out of an ambulance after arriving at Emory University Hospital in Atlanta on Saturday, August 2. Brantly was infected with the Ebola virus in Africa, but he was brought back to the United States for further treatment.Dr. Kent Brantly, right, gets out of an ambulance after arriving at Emory University Hospital in Atlanta on Saturday, August 2. Brantly was infected with the Ebola virus in Africa, but he was brought back to the United States for further treatment.



Nurses wearing protective clothing are sprayed with disinfectant Friday, August 1, in Monrovia after they prepared the bodies of Ebola victims for burial.Nurses wearing protective clothing are sprayed with disinfectant Friday, August 1, in Monrovia after they prepared the bodies of Ebola victims for burial.



A nurse disinfects the waiting area at the ELWA Hospital in Monrovia on Monday, July 28. A nurse disinfects the waiting area at the ELWA Hospital in Monrovia on Monday, July 28.



Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, right, walks past an Ebola awareness poster in downtown Monrovia as Liberia marked the 167th anniversary of its independence Saturday, July 26. The Liberian government dedicated the anniversary to fighting the deadly disease. Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, right, walks past an Ebola awareness poster in downtown Monrovia as Liberia marked the 167th anniversary of its independence Saturday, July 26. The Liberian government dedicated the anniversary to fighting the deadly disease.



In this photo provided by Samaritan's Purse, Dr. Kent Brantly, left, treats an Ebola patient in Monrovia. On July 26, the North Carolina-based group said Brantly tested positive for the disease. Days later, Brantly arrived in Georgia to be treated at an Atlanta hospital, becoming the first Ebola patient to knowingly be treated in the United States.In this photo provided by Samaritan's Purse, Dr. Kent Brantly, left, treats an Ebola patient in Monrovia. On July 26, the North Carolina-based group said Brantly tested positive for the disease. Days later, Brantly arrived in Georgia to be treated at an Atlanta hospital, becoming the first Ebola patient to knowingly be treated in the United States.



A 10-year-old boy whose mother was killed by the Ebola virus walks with a doctor from the aid organization Samaritan's Purse after being taken out of quarantine Thursday, July 24, in Monrovia.A 10-year-old boy whose mother was killed by the Ebola virus walks with a doctor from the aid organization Samaritan's Purse after being taken out of quarantine Thursday, July 24, in Monrovia.



A doctor puts on protective gear at the treatment center in Kailahun, Sierra Leone, on Sunday, July 20.A doctor puts on protective gear at the treatment center in Kailahun, Sierra Leone, on Sunday, July 20.



Members of Doctors Without Borders adjust tents in the isolation area in Kailahun on July 20.Members of Doctors Without Borders adjust tents in the isolation area in Kailahun on July 20.



Boots dry in the Ebola treatment center in Kailahun on July 20.Boots dry in the Ebola treatment center in Kailahun on July 20.



Red Cross volunteers prepare to enter a house where an Ebola victim died in Pendembu, Sierra Leone, on Friday, July 18.Red Cross volunteers prepare to enter a house where an Ebola victim died in Pendembu, Sierra Leone, on Friday, July 18.



Dr. Jose Rovira of the World Health Organization takes a swab from a suspected Ebola victim in Pendembu on July 18.Dr. Jose Rovira of the World Health Organization takes a swab from a suspected Ebola victim in Pendembu on July 18.



Red Cross volunteers disinfect each other with chlorine after removing the body of an Ebola victim from a house in Pendembu on July 18.Red Cross volunteers disinfect each other with chlorine after removing the body of an Ebola victim from a house in Pendembu on July 18.



A dressing assistant prepares a Doctors Without Borders member before entering an isolation ward Thursday, July 17, in Kailahun.A dressing assistant prepares a Doctors Without Borders member before entering an isolation ward Thursday, July 17, in Kailahun.



A doctor works in the field laboratory at the Ebola treatment center in Kailahun on July 17.A doctor works in the field laboratory at the Ebola treatment center in Kailahun on July 17.



Doctors Without Borders staff prepare to enter the isolation ward at an Ebola treatment center in Kailahun on July 17.Doctors Without Borders staff prepare to enter the isolation ward at an Ebola treatment center in Kailahun on July 17.



A health worker with disinfectant spray walks down a street outside the government hospital in Kenema on Thursday, July 10. A health worker with disinfectant spray walks down a street outside the government hospital in Kenema on Thursday, July 10.



Dr. Mohamed Vandi of the Kenema Government Hospital trains community volunteers who will aim to educate people about Ebola in Sierra Leone.Dr. Mohamed Vandi of the Kenema Government Hospital trains community volunteers who will aim to educate people about Ebola in Sierra Leone.



Police block a road outside Kenema to stop motorists for a body temperature check on Wednesday, July 9.Police block a road outside Kenema to stop motorists for a body temperature check on Wednesday, July 9.



A woman has her temperature taken at a screening checkpoint on the road out of Kenema on July 9.A woman has her temperature taken at a screening checkpoint on the road out of Kenema on July 9.



A member of Doctors Without Borders puts on protective gear at the isolation ward of the Donka Hospital in Conakry, Guinea, on Saturday, June 28.A member of Doctors Without Borders puts on protective gear at the isolation ward of the Donka Hospital in Conakry, Guinea, on Saturday, June 28.



Airport employees check passengers in Conakry before they leave the country on Thursday, April 10.Airport employees check passengers in Conakry before they leave the country on Thursday, April 10.



CNN's Dr. Sanjay Gupta, left, works in the World Health Organization's mobile lab in Conakry. Gupta traveled to Guinea in April to report on the deadly virus.CNN's Dr. Sanjay Gupta, left, works in the World Health Organization's mobile lab in Conakry. Gupta traveled to Guinea in April to report on the deadly virus.



A Guinea-Bissau customs official watches arrivals from Conakry on Tuesday, April 8.A Guinea-Bissau customs official watches arrivals from Conakry on Tuesday, April 8.



Egidia Almeida, a nurse in Guinea-Bissau, scans a Guinean citizen coming from Conakry on April 8. Egidia Almeida, a nurse in Guinea-Bissau, scans a Guinean citizen coming from Conakry on April 8.



A scientist separates blood cells from plasma cells to isolate any Ebola RNA and test for the virus Thursday, April 3, at the European Mobile Laboratory in Gueckedou, Guinea.A scientist separates blood cells from plasma cells to isolate any Ebola RNA and test for the virus Thursday, April 3, at the European Mobile Laboratory in Gueckedou, Guinea.



Members of Doctors Without Borders carry a dead body in Gueckedou on Friday, April 1. Members of Doctors Without Borders carry a dead body in Gueckedou on Friday, April 1.



Gloves and boots used by medical personnel dry in the sun April 1 outside a center for Ebola victims in Gueckedou.Gloves and boots used by medical personnel dry in the sun April 1 outside a center for Ebola victims in Gueckedou.



A health specialist works Monday, March 31, in a tent laboratory set up at a Doctors Without Borders facility in southern Guinea.A health specialist works Monday, March 31, in a tent laboratory set up at a Doctors Without Borders facility in southern Guinea.



Health specialists work March 31 at an isolation ward for patients at the facility in southern Guinea.Health specialists work March 31 at an isolation ward for patients at the facility in southern Guinea.



Workers associated with Doctors Without Borders prepare isolation and treatment areas Friday, March 28, in Guinea. Workers associated with Doctors Without Borders prepare isolation and treatment areas Friday, March 28, in Guinea.







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Photos: Ebola outbreak in AfricaPhotos: Ebola outbreak in Africa



Rick Sacra had been to Liberia with SIM before, and volunteered to go again after he heard fellow missionaries Nancy Writebol and Dr. Kent Brantly had contracted the virus, Johnson said. Brantly and Writebol were flown to Atlanta last month for treatment at Emory University Hospital and have since been released.


Human trial of experimental Ebola vaccine begins


Sacra started to show symptoms of hemorrhagic fever on August 29. Health care workers did an Ebola test on him Monday, which came back positive for the deadly virus.


Sacra was following all protocols and taking necessary precautions against Ebola, Johnson said. It is unclear how he became infected, but SIM is working with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to determine the point of contact.


Doctors in Nebraska said they know they are in for a "long haul" with Sacra's treatment. They are hopeful but believe he could be under treatment for at least two to three weeks.


If he does recover fully, SIM leaders said that Sacra has said he intends to go back to Liberia to continue to help build and strengthen the country's medical infrastructure.


CNN's Jason Hanna and Shawn Nottingham contributed to this report.



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