--- title: U.S. Ebola Patient Identified as Thomas Eric Duncan. description: The U.S.’s first diagnosed Ebola patient was visiting the States from Liberia, according to his sister canonical: https://time.com/3453271/ebola-patient-thomas-eric-duncan/ author: Alice Park article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2014-10-01T18:31:04.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T08:05:29.460Z article:section: Health og:title: U.S. Ebola Patient Identified og:description: The U.S.’s first diagnosed Ebola patient was visiting the States from Liberia, according to his sister og:url: https://time.com/3453271/ebola-patient-thomas-eric-duncan/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 675 og:image:alt: TIME og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: U.S. Ebola Patient Identified twitter:description: The U.S.’s first diagnosed Ebola patient was visiting the States from Liberia, according to his sister twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production --- # First U.S. Ebola Patient Identified > Sponsored content. 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Named editors include Richard Hall (The Brief), Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs (Inside TIME), Eliza Berman (Worth Your Time), Philip Elliott (D.C. Brief), Justin Worland (Future Proof) and Harry Booth (In the Loop). Health Matters is written by TIME's health desk. #### How do I sign up for a TIME newsletter? Go to time.com/newsletters, choose the newsletters you want and enter your email address. There is no cost and no subscription requirement. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=2992c791-df30-49f1-a43c-afcc54343718&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1) ## Video: 5 Ebola Questions You're Wondering About [Watch (HLS stream): 5 Ebola Questions You're Wondering About](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/9QwqrSi9.m3u8) (2:02)  _Published 2014-08-07. TIME Health Reporter Alexandra Sifferlin explains why there's no cure for Ebola, how infected patients are treated, and more common questions about the disease._  by [Alice Park](https://time.com/author/alice-park/)  ## Alice Park Senior Correspondent Oct 1, 2014 6:31 PM UTC  by [Alice Park](https://time.com/author/alice-park/)  ## Alice Park Senior Correspondent Oct 1, 2014 6:31 PM UTC The first patient to be diagnosed with Ebola in the U.S. was [identified](http://bigstory.ap.org/article/44a12c35649f4f6782fcb3c9f476da09/ebola-case-stokes-concerns-liberians-dallas) Wednesday as Thomas Eric Duncan. Duncan’s sister Mai Wureh told the Associated Press it was her brother who is at the center of the country’s latest Ebola scare. Wureh said her brother went to the emergency room on Friday complaining of fever and a nurse asked about whether he had recently been in Ebola-affected countries. He said yes, but, according to Dr. Mark Lester, a clinical leader for Texas Health Resources, the “information was not fully communicated throughout the whole team.” Duncan was sent home with antibiotics, and returned two days later in an ambulance with more severe symptoms. He is currently in serious but stable condition at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital. \[[_AP_](http://bigstory.ap.org/article/44a12c35649f4f6782fcb3c9f476da09/ebola-case-stokes-concerns-liberians-dallas)\] ## Transcript The Ebola virus is ravaging West Africa, taking at least 800 lives and leaving behind a lot of confusion. Here are five common questions about the disease. Number one, if there's no vaccine and cure for Ebola ,. What are doctors doing to treat infected patients? Currently, doctors can only provide supportive care like monitoring their heart rate, and blood pressure, and making sure their fluids are replenished. This will hopefully help sustain infected patients through the disease. If there's no cure for Ebola, how are some people surviving? When someone is infected with the virus, the body produces antibodies to fight it. People who have survived Ebola have produced enough antibodies to neutralize the virus and eventually, their immune system will clear it. Number three, why is there no vaccine or drug for Ebola? There are currently experimental drugs and vaccines under development. But since Ebola is a relatively rare disease compared to others, there hasn't been a financial incentive for pharmaceutical companies to put a lot of funding into these drugs. Number four. How can Americans with Ebola be evacuated back to the U. S .? There are certain plains that medical groups use to evacuate and transport people with very infectious diseases. The plains can be equipped with medical equipment, as well as units to isolate patients from doctors. Doctors accompanying patients will wear full body suits to keep themselves protected. Number 5, what are my chances of getting Ebola in the U. S .? [ MUSIC ] The only way to contract the disease is through direct contact with bodily fluids, which can include blood, vomit, semen, and yes, even sweat. With proper protection and equipment, being infected with the disease is highly unlikely. For more answers to your questions about Ebola and to follow Time's coverage of the disease, visit time. com / ebola. 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