Texas health care worker tests positive for Ebola

A health care worker at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital who provided care for Ebola patient Thomas Eric Duncan, who died last week, has tested positive for Ebola in a preliminary test, the state's department of health said in a statement. The health care worker reported having a fever Friday night and was isolated and referred for testing, the department said. The preliminary test result was received late Saturday. "We knew a second case could be a reality, and we've been preparing for this possibility," said Dr. David Lakey, commissioner of the Texas Department of State Health Services. "We are broadening our team in Dallas and working with extreme diligence to prevent further spread." Health workers are working with the patient to identify persons who may have been in contact. Duncan was the first person diagnosed with Ebola in the United States. He died on Wednesday. Confirmatory testing on the health care worker will be conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta. Ebola is spread through direct contact with bodily fluids of a sick person or exposure to contaminated objects such as needles. People are not contagious before symptoms such as fever develop.