Doctor Who Worked in Sierra Leone Dies From Ebola at Nebraska Hospital
Martin Salia, the doctor flown to Nebraska Medical Center this past Saturday after testing positive for Ebola, died from the virus today, the hospital confirms. He was 44.
According to the hospital's statement released this morning, Salia "passed away as a result of the advanced symptoms of the disease." Salia was the 10th Ebola patient to be treated in the U.S. and the third to be treated at Nebraska Medical Center.
Salia, a Sierra Leone citizen who lives in Maryland, first showed Ebola symptoms on Nov. 6 but tested negative for the virus. He eventually tested positive on Monday.
The U.S. State Department said it helped facilitate the transfer of Salia; the U.S. Embassy in Freetown said he paid for the expensive evacuation. The travel costs and care of other Ebola patients flown to the U.S. have been covered by the groups they worked for in West Africa.
Salia's wife, Isatu Salia, said in a telephone interview that when she spoke to her husband early Friday his voice sounded weak and shaky. But he told her "I love you" in a steady voice, she said.
Reuters reports that the surgeon was a permanent resident of the U.S. His family told the wire service that was infected with the virus while working at a hospital in Freetown, the capital of Sierra Leone. By the time he arrived at Nebraska Medical Center, he was suffering from kidney and respiratory failure.
