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Last updated on Friday, August 1, 2014
(LIBERIA, Africa) - A physician who contracted a deadly virus after joining a medical team responding to the Ebola crisis in Africa continues to fight for his life.
According to Samaritan's Purse, the organization Dr. Kent Brantly, 33, was with while serving his post-residency in Liberia, is in stable but grave condition. Brantly, along with his colleague Nancy Writebol, took a slight turn for the worse overnight but continues to fight for life.
In a statement posted on the organization's website, Samaritan's Purse president Franklin Graham said an experimental serum arrived in the country Wednesday, but there was only enough for one person.
"..Dr. Brantly asked that it be given to Nancy Writebol," said Graham. "However, Dr. Brantly received a unit of blood from a 14-year-old boy who had survived Ebola because of Dr. Brantly's care. The young boy and his family wanted to be able to help the doctor that saved his life."
The doctor, an IU graduate, had been living in Liberia with his wife and two children, but officials said they returned to the U.S. before he showed signs of illness. Last week, officials said Brantly experienced syptoms associated with Ebola and immediately isolated himself.
Samaritan's Purse said they are working to evacuate all but the most essential workers. They said none of the evacuation staff are ill.
According to the World Health Organization, the outbreak began with just a handful of cases in Guinea in March. Since then, there have been 814 confirmed cases and another 387 suspected cases across Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia.
The deadly disease, which causes massive internal bleeding and has a mortality rate of 60 to 90 percent in most situations, has claimed more than 670 lives.
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