Harvard Health Content API

A Liberian man visiting the United States has been diagnosed with the Ebola virus. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced the case this week. Thomas Eric Duncan is the first person to be diagnosed with Ebola in the United States. He is being treated at a Dallas hospital under strict isolation. Four people who had been in close contact with Duncan are under quarantine, the CDC said October 2. About 100 others who had direct or indirect contact are being monitored. If they develop symptoms, they will be quickly isolated, the CDC said. Symptoms include fever, muscle pain, vomiting, diarrhea and bleeding. Ebola is spread by contact with body fluids of someone who has symptoms. Duncan flew from Liberia to Dallas September 20 to visit family. He did not have symptoms at that time and therefore was not contagious, the CDC said.

School-based health centers make good medical homes for teens, a new survey finds. Researchers questioned about 500 teens who visited a school-based health center in Denver, Colorado. They wanted to know which services they used. Researchers also asked parents what they thought about the care their teens received at the centers. About one-third of teens said that a school-based health center was their main source of medical care. The top 3 reasons for visits were for illnesses (78%), vaccines (69%) and education about sexual health (63%). Parents liked the centers because they provided lots of services, they were convenient and they didn’t pay a fee. Based on the survey results, the researchers conclude that school-based health centers play an important role in communities where medical care is limited.