US Nurse Exposed to Ebola to Travel to Maryland Clinic in Isolation

WASHINGTON, December 12 (Sputnik) – An American nurse, exposed to the deadly Ebola virus, will be transferred in isolation to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Bethesda, Maryland, for observation, NIH has told Sputnik via e-mail.

"The patient will be medevac'd via private charter and transferred to NIH in isolation," NIH said Thursday.

Earlier, NIH said in a press release that the nurse, who had worked at an Ebola treatment unit in Sierra Leone, was expected to arrive at the hospital later in the day.

"Later today [Thursday], the National Institutes of Health expects to admit a patient with exposure to the Ebola virus to the NIH Clinical Center's special clinical studies unit for observation and to enroll in a clinical protocol," the release said.

NIH stressed that the special clinical studies unit is specifically designed to provide high-level isolation capabilities, and is staffed by infectious diseases and critical care specialists.

"The unit staff is trained in strict infection control practices, optimized to prevent spread of potentially transmissible agents such as Ebola. In addition, access to the unit will be strictly controlled," NIH explained in its release, stressing that it is taking every precaution to ensure the safety of the patients, staff and the public.

"This situation presents minimal risk to any of them," the release emphasized.

Currently, there is no officially-approved medication for the Ebola virus, but several countries, including the United States, Russia and Japan have been working on anti-Ebola drugs.

The virus is spread through direct contact with the bodily fluids of those infected.

Liberia, Sierra Leone, Nigeria and Senegal have been suffering from a major Ebola outbreak this year, with several Ebola cases have also been reported outside of West Africa, including the United States. The World Health Organization estimates that over 6,000 people have died from Ebola as of December 8.