A Dallas health care worker who handled clinical specimens from an Ebola-infected man from Liberia who later died is on a Caribbean cruise ship, where they have self-quarantined and are being monitored for any signs of infection, the State Department said in a statement.
According to the government statement, the worker departed on a cruise ship from Galveston, Texas on Oct. 12 and was out of the country before being notified of active monitoring required by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
That monitoring was established as two nurses at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital, Nina Pham and Amber Vinson, tested positive for Ebola.
The worker on the cruise did not have direct contact with patient Thomas Eric Duncan, but may have had contact with his clinical specimens, authorities said. The employee - who has not been identified - has not had a fever or demonstrated any symptoms of illness, authorities said.
'The worker has voluntarily remained in the cabin and the State Department and Cruise line are working to bring the worker back to the U.S. out of an abundance of caution,' the Department of State said in the release.
Pham arrived in Maryland Thursday to receive treatment at the National Institute of Health's Clinical Center.
Meanwhile, Vinson is listed in stable condition, her relatives said.
'Amber is a respected professional and has always had a strong passion for nursing,' a statement from her family says. 'She followed all of the protocols necessary when treating a patient in Dallas, and right now, she's trusting in her doctors and nurses as she is now the patient.'
Federal officials say Vinson may have had Ebola symptoms on Oct. 10, the day she flew on a passenger plane from Dallas to Cleveland. As a result, passengers on her Oct. 10 flight will also be monitored, authorities announced.
Pham started exhibiting Ebola symptoms after Vinson had traveled to Ohio, health officials say.
