OMAHA, Nov. 13 (UPI) -- A surgeon infected with Ebola after treating patients with the virus in Sierra Leone will be transported to a biocontainment facility in Omaha, Neb., for treatment, medical officials said.
Dr. Martin Salia is from Sierra Leone but is a permanent resident of the United States. He and his wife live in Maryland.
The Nebraska Medical Center is readying itself to receive the patient, having already successfully treated American aid worker Dr. Rick Sacra and video journalist Ashoka Mukpo for the disease.
"Staff members here have been in a state of readiness to treat Ebola patients since we were first visited by the U.S. State Department in early August," the hospital said in a statement. "As with previous patients we've treated here in recent months, per State Department regulations, we would only have confirmation when a plane is en route with a patient aboard. This is not the case right now."
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Salia is expected to arrive at the facility Saturday, someone with personal knowledge of the situation told the Omaha World-Herald.
A statement from the U.S. State Department said it is working with the Centers for Disease Control to assist Salia's family.
"His wife, who resides in Maryland, has asked the State Department to investigate whether he is well enough to be transported back to the University of Nebraska Medical Center for treatment," the statement said. "We will provide further updates when available."
The World Health Organization announced Wednesday the Ebola virus has killed more than 5,000 people, mostly in West Africa in the current outbreak.
