The body of Thomas Eric Duncan, the first person diagnosed with Ebola in the U.S., will be cremated. According to the Texas Department of State Health Services, his family gave consent.
“This is a difficult time for the family, and our thoughts are with them,” said Dr. David Lakey, Texas health commissioner in a statement. Lakey said he had conferred with Duncan’s family about the cremation.
Duncan, 42, was pronounced dead at 7:51 a.m. on Wednesday at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital, where he had been kept in isolation since Sept. 28.
He came to Dallas from Liberia to visit his son and other family on Sept. 20. He fell ill and went to the hospital Sept. 25, but wasn’t diagnosed until he went back with more severe symptoms on Sept. 28. His neighbors in Liberia believe Duncan became infected with Ebola when he helped a pregnant, sick, neighbor a few weeks ago. She later died of Ebola. It was unclear if he had learned of her diagnosis before he traveled.
After cremation, the remains can be safely returned to the family. Lakey promised to balance the rights of Duncan’s family with public safety.
Dignity
“We will continue to treat Mr. Duncan with dignity and respect, and we’re taking great care to make sure there is no additional risk that others could be infected.”
Cremation is recommended by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) to safely handle the body of an Ebola victim.
After someone dies of Ebola, the virus can still be found throughout the body. Burial practices such as embalming should be avoided. Autopsy should also be avoided, and the body should be transported in two sealed plastic body bags that have been disinfected. If the person is buried, his body should be inside a double layer of plastic body bags and in a hermetically sealed casket.
Texas state and local officials are monitoring 48 people who came into contact with Duncan before he was quarantined. But on Wednesday, a man in the town of Frisco, Texas who reportedly showed symptoms of Ebola said he'd had contact with Duncan. He was taken to Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital in Dallas, according to local media reports.
Also on Wednesday, the CDC’s director Tom Frieden spoke about the new airport screening measures to go into effect on Saturday.
“As long as Ebola continues to spread in Africa, we can’t make the risk here zero,” he said. “We wish we could.”
Unimaginable
At the Liberian Embassy in Washington, D.C., an official said Duncan’s death is a reminder they “are dealing with a crisis of unimaginable proportions.”
“We are all just in a state of pain as a result of this loss, which is a reflection of the human tragedy that is unfolding—not just in Liberia—but in West Africa,” said Minister Counselor for Press and Public Affairs at the Embassy of Liberia in Washington, Gabriel Williams.
Williams said the Liberian government had made no plans of what to do if Duncan died, despite the fact that the mortality rate of Ebola is about ranges from 50 to 90 percent.
“We had never contemplated funeral plans,” he said. “It is not one of those things that you plan for.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
