First Ebola patient diagnosed in the U.S. dies

The first patient diagnosed with Ebola in the United States has died.

Doctors at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital in Dallas made the announcement this morning. Thomas Eric Duncan was diagnosed with the deadly disease and admitted to the hospital on Sept. 28. He contracted the virus in Liberia, where he is from, before traveling to the United States to visit his family.

Duncan’s family members in Dallas remain quarantined while health officials evaluate them for signs of Ebola. So far, they remain healthy. Officials also are monitoring several dozen other people who came into contact with the family members or people who had contact with them.

The hospital has faced criticism for sending Duncan home when he first came to the emergency room on Sept. 24, four days after arriving in Dallas. He told doctors and nurses he came from West Africa, but no one seemed concerned he might have Ebola. The hospital’s explanation for the confusion has changed, fueling fears the U.S. health system isn’t ready to handle an outbreak of the disease.

Earlier today, the Obama administration ordered all Homeland Security Department personnel to watch for signs of Ebola in anyone arriving in the United States. But officials did not provide any details about what specific steps screeners should take. Passengers traveling from affected areas are screened for sickness, but since the disease has 21-day incubation period, it’s possible for people to board planes without knowing they are infected. Duncan passed screening checks in Liberia when he left on Sept. 20.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.