BETHESDA, Md., March 12 (UPI) -- A U.S. healthcare worker volunteering in Sierra Leone is being flown back to the United States after testing positive for the Ebola virus.
The worker, whose name wasn't reported, will be transported by chartered aircraft to the U.S. National Institutes of Health facility in Bethesda, Md., the agency said. The patient will receive treatment in the NIH Clinical Center Special Clinical Studies Unit, which is a high-level containment facility.
"The NIH Clinical Center's Special Clinical Studies Unit (SCSU) is specifically designed to provide high-level isolation capabilities and is staffed by infectious diseases and critical care specialists," the NIH said in a news release. "The unit staff is trained in strict infection control practices optimized to prevent spread of potentially transmissible agents such as Ebola. In addition, access to the unit is strictly controlled. NIH is taking every precaution to ensure the safety of our patients, NIH staff, and the public."
The news comes as the World Health Organization announces total deaths from this latest outbreak of Ebola has surpassed the 10,000 mark.
