American TV cameraman in Liberia tests positive for Ebola

An American freelance TV cameraman working for NBC News in West Africa is being flown back to the United States for treatment after testing positive for Ebola.

Ashoka Mukpo is scheduled to arrive Monday morning at the Nebraska Medical Center's biocontainment unit in Omaha.

He is the fourth American to have contracted Ebola in Liberia. Dr. Richard Sacra was transported to the Omaha facility and received treatment there for three weeks before being discharged Sept. 25.

The video journalist, 33, reported symptoms on Wednesday and was running a slight fever. On Thursday he was tested for the virus at a treatment center, with the result coming back positive, NBC News said in a story posted on its website.

He had been hired Tuesday as a second cameraman for NBC's medical correspondent, Nancy Snyderman, who is in Liberia reporting on the Ebola epidemic with three other NBC News employees.

In an interview on Today, Snyderman said Mukpo had joined her 72 hours prior to realizing he felt ill.

"We shared a work space. We shared vehicles. We shared equipment," she said. "But everyone here is hyper-alert. We have not been in close proximity. No one shakes hands. There's no hugging.

"We are doing everything we can to get him the best care possible,'' NBC News President Deborah Turness said in a note to staff. "He will be flown back to the United States for treatment at a medical center that is equipped to handle Ebola patients."

Turness said Snyderman and others in her crew will be flown back to the United States on a private charter flight and will be quarantined in the United States for 21 days "in an abundance of caution.''

She said none of the NBC employees have shown symptoms but are being closely monitored.

The cameraman also is a writer and has been working in Liberia on various projects for the past three years, NBC News said.

Turness said the rest of the NBC News crew, including Snyderman, have no symptoms but are being monitored.