Ebola Cases in the US: A Summary of Confirmed Cases and Outcomes

Between 2014 and 2021, the United States identified 11 confirmed Ebola virus disease (EVD) cases. All were linked to the 2014–2016 West African outbreak or subsequent laboratory exposures.

Case Breakdown

Category	Count	Details
Medically evacuated (infected in West Africa)	4	Healthcare workers treated at specialized biocontainment units (Emory, NIH, Nebraska, Bellevue). All survived.
Domestic acquisition (Dallas, 2014)	2	Nurses caring for index patient Thomas Eric Duncan. Both survived.
Laboratory exposure (2014, 2019)	2	Lab workers with needle-stick or protocol breach. Both survived with post-exposure prophylaxis (ZMapp, remdesivir, or experimental vaccines).
Returnee with symptoms (2015, 2018, 2021)	3	Travelers from endemic areas presenting with illness. All survived.

Fatalities

2 deaths: Thomas Eric Duncan (index patient, acquired in Liberia, died Dallas 2014) and Dr. Martin Salia (surgeon infected in Sierra Leone, evacuated to Nebraska, died 2014). Both presented late with high viral loads.

Public Health Response

• Enhanced entry screening at 5 airports (ended 2016).
• Designation of 10 Regional Ebola Treatment Centers.
• Investigational therapeutics (mAb114, REGN-EB3, remdesivir) and vaccines (rVSV-ZEBOV) deployed under expanded access.
• Contact tracing, monitoring, and isolation protocols refined.

Current Status

No endemic Ebola transmission in the US. Risk remains limited to travelers from outbreak zones and laboratory workers. Clinicians should maintain travel history vigilance and follow CDC PUI (person under investigation) criteria.