By Sky News US Team
A hospital worker in Texas who treated a patient who died of ebola has tested positive for the disease.
The unnamed person, who had been wearing full protective gear, reported having a "low grade fever" on Friday and was then isolated, said officials.
If the preliminary diagnosis is confirmed, it would be the first known case of ebola being contracted or transmitted in the US.
The "heroic" worker, believed to be a female nurse, had been looking after Thomas Eric Duncan at the Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital in Dallas.
Mr Duncan, 42, who had recently arrived from his native Liberia, died in an isolation ward at the hospital last Wednesday, 11 days after being admitted.
Officials were "very concerned" the worker had contracted the virus despite following safety protocols.
Dan Varga, the chief clinical officer for Texas Health Resources, said: "This individual was following full CDC precautions", noting the gear would have included a mask, gown, and gloves.
Officials are monitoring 18 health care workers, according to Dr Varga.
A top federal official said the latest diagnosis showed there was a clear breach of safety protocol and all those who treated Mr Duncan are now considered to be potentially exposed.
The hospital worker is believed to be the first person in the US to test positive for ebola who has not been to West Africa, where the outbreak has claimed more than 4,000 lives.
The care giver's condition was described as "stable" and they are going through a "great ordeal", officials said, adding the person was considered at "low risk" of contracting the disease.
Mr Duncan was originally sent home from hospital despite showing symptoms of ebola, and was only re-admitted when his condition deteriorated.
His case sparked panic about the possible spread of the virus in the US despite assurances from President Barack Obama the chances of that happening were "extraordinarily low".
The US has begun screening patients entering through John F Kennedy airport in New York.
It was the first of five airports to introduce the measures, brought in to give a layer of protection after the death of the first patient diagnosed with ebola on US soil.
The four other airports - Newark, Chicago's O'Hare, Washington Dulles and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International - are due to begin the checks next week.
Meanwhile, nurses and physician assistants in Liberia, one of the country's worst hit by the outbreak, have threatened to go on strike over "hazard pay".
George Williams, leader of the National Health Workers Association, said members were demanding $700 (£436) per month in hazard pay on top of their monthly salaries, which are generally around $200 or $300.
Monthly hazard pay is currently less than $500.
In Spain, an assistant nurse infected with ebola is showing signs of "slight improvement".
But Teresa Romero's prognosis remains serious and further complications could not be ruled out, according to the country's government.
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