Dallas Officials Say 100 People Possibly Exposed To Ebola In Texas

Officials in Dallas, Texas are reporting that upwards of 100 people may have had direct contact with the patient who has tested positive for Ebola in the U.S.

Officials in Dallas County told KGMI-TV that the man, who recently returned from a trip to Liberia, had direct contact with 12 to 18 people upon his arrival in the United States. Four of the man's family members have been placed in strict isolation units as doctors monitor for symptoms of the deadly virus. Ebola can only spread to others when symptoms are present.

"We are working from a list of about 100 potential or possible contacts," Texas health department spokeswoman Carrie Williams said.

"Out of an abundance of caution, we're starting with this very wide net, including people who have had even brief encounters with the patient or the patient's home. The number will drop as we focus in on those whose contact may represent a potential risk of infection."

The man, who remains unidentified, reportedly visited the Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital last week and told a nurse that he was suffering from stomach pains and had recently visited West Africa. The nurse, however, sent the man home, and he returned days later in an ambulance and tested positive for Ebola.

On Thursday, a hospital in Honolulu, Hawaii announced that it had put a patient in an isolation unit after he was reportedly exhibiting signs of Ebola. The Queen's Medical Center said in a statement that the patient's recent travel history and contacts made it unlikely he had Ebola, but they were taking necessary precautions since the U.S. is at a heightened level of awareness for the disease.