Second U.S. Ebola patient flew on plane before diagnosis

DALLAS, Oct. 15 (UPI) -- The second person to be infected with Ebola in the U.S. has been identified as nurse Amber Vinson atTexas Health Presbyterian Hospital in Dallas.

Vinson, 29, was on the team that treated Thomas Eric Duncan, patient zero for Ebola in the U.S. She joins nurse Nina Pham, who was also diagnosed with Ebola after treating Duncan.

Vinson was tested and isolated Tuesday.

After investigating her contact history, health officials said they discovered she was on a flight from Cleveland to Dallas one day before she was submitted for testing. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said it is contacting all 132 people who were on Frontier Airlines Flight 1143 as a precaution and have asked all passengers to call 1-800-CDC-INFO.

Ebola can only be passed through the exchange of bodily fluids and after symptoms are present.

The plane stayed overnight at DFW airport overnight for cleaning. It returned to Cleveland Tuesday where it was cleaned again.

"The fight against Ebola in Dallas is a two-front fight now," said Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins.

The second infection on U.S. soil has fueled fears and ignited criticism of the hospital's protocol and quarantine procedures. The CDC said even though it is concerning, it is confident any threat will be contained.

While this is troubling news for the patient, the patient's family and colleagues and the greater Dallas community, the CDC and the Texas Department of State Health Services remain confident that wider spread in the community can be prevented with proper public health measures including ongoing contact tracing, health monitoring among those known to have been in contact with the index patient and immediate isolation if symptoms develop.

Vinson will be transferred to Emory University in Atlanta for treatment, USA Today reported Wednesday.

President Barack Obama called a meeting of his Cabinet Wednesday to discuss the presence of Ebola in the U.S.