WASHINGTON —The director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says the condition of the American doctor stricken with Ebola seems to have improved from earlier reports.

Dr. Thomas Frieden tells NBC it was encouraging to see Dr. Kent Brantly walk out of the ambulance unassisted when he arrived at Atlanta’s Emory University Hospital from Africa on Saturday.

Frieden said he understands the public’s concerns about Ebola, and the public health role is to ensure that the infection is not spread.

The CDC chief said old-fashioned practices are required to stop the spread of Ebola in West Africa. That means finding the patients and their contacts, making sure they’re treated, educating the public and doing rigorous infection control in hospitals. Ebola is only spread through direct contact of bodily fluids.


Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.

Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.