There is surprise and anguish in the US after revelations that a hospital worker in Texas has caught the Ebola virus.<br /><br />Only days after Spain found itself in a similar situation, a worker who looked after a Liberian man who later died has also now tested positive. <br /><br />Top officials in Dallas are defending their procedures, but can not yet explain how a new infection was possible in a hospital.<br /><br />Dallas County’s top official, Clay Jenkins, told reporters: “We expected that something, that it was possible that a second person could contract the virus. Contingency plans were put into place and the hospital will discuss the way that the health care worker followed those contingency plans”.<br /><br />The hospital says it is still investigating.<br /><br />Dr. Daniel Varga from the Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital said: “We are still confident that the precautions that we have in place will protect our healthcare workers. <br /><br />“We don’t have a full analysis of all of the care; we’re going through that right now<br />to try to understand specific elements of who came in contact with Mr Duncan, around what circumstances, on what day, etc.<br /><br />“But we are confident that the precautions we have in place right now are protecting our healthcare workers.”<br /><br />The infected worker had looked after Liberian man Thomas Duncan, who became the US’s first Ebola fatality. The worker reported a slight fever on Friday night.
