Duncan’s relatives reach deal with hospital

A worker in a hazardous material suit is sprayed down by a co-worker after coming out of an apartment where Thomas Eric Duncan was staying in Dallas, Texas, on October 5, 2014.

A worker in a hazardous material suit is sprayed down by a co-worker after coming out of an apartment where Thomas Eric Duncan was staying in Dallas, Texas, on October 5, 2014.

Published Nov 12, 2014

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Dallas - The family of the first patient diagnosed with Ebola in the United States and the only person to die of the disease in the country has reached a resolution with the Dallas hospital that treated him, local media reported on Tuesday.

Thomas Eric Duncan, a Liberian native, died at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital on October 8.

His family are set to announce details of the agreement on Wednesday morning, according to Dallas television station WFAA citing a statement from the law offices of Miller Weisbrod.

Reuters could not independently verify the report. The law firm was not immediately available for comment. The hospital also did not return requests for information.

Duncan's death prompted questions about his care. He initially sought treatment two days before being admitted, but was sent home with antibiotics. Ebola experts later questioned the experimental drug he was given.

Two nurses who treated Duncan were infected but ultimately recovered from the disease.

The Ebola epidemic in West Africa has killed over 4 900 people this year, although there are no current cases in the United States. Medical experts say Ebola can be transmitted only through the bodily fluids of a sick person with symptoms. - Reuters

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