'Up to 80' exposed to Ebola patient

On Thursday, reports from US media pointed to a greater exposure to Ebola in the northeastern region of Texas than had previously been thought.

Dallas County health and human services said that up to 80 people had potentially been exposed to the virus, either by coming into contact with the infected man - now identified as Thomas Eric Duncan - or four members of his family.

Texas health commissioner David Lakey also confirmed that the infected man's family members had been ordered to remain in their home until October 19.

"We have tried and true protocols to protect the public and stop the spread of this disease," Lakey said in a statement. "This order gives us the ability to monitor the situation in the most meticulous way."

'A cogent lesson learned'

Duncan contracted the virus during a recent visit to West Africa. He had sought medical attention at an emergency room in Dallas on Tuesday, less than two weeks after his return to the United States.

However, emergency room workers released him despite his having told a nurse of his visit to West Africa, where Ebola has claimed the lives of an estimated 3,338 people since March.

The grave mistake in Duncan's case has raised awareness across the US medical community.

"We just need to put [this error] behind us and look ahead and make sure that in the future that doesn't happen again," Anthony Fauci, the head of the National Institute of Allegy and Infectious Diseases told US broadcaster MSNBC. "This will certainly serve for the rest of a country as a cogent lesson learned."

kms/msh (AFP, Reuters)