WILMINGTON, Del. – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on African Affairs, issued the following statement Tuesday after the Centers for Disease Control confirmed that a patient being treated at a hospital in Dallas, Texas, has tested positive for the Ebola virus – the first case in the United States.

“Ebola is a grave and growing threat to populations in West Africa, where weak health infrastructures have been overwhelmed by this devastating virus. We take it for granted here in the United States that we have strong health care systems, access to clean water, and reliable electricity, but in countries where Ebola has spread exponentially – Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea — these basic resources and structures are lacking. 

“Americans need to remain calm and listen to the precautionary measures being suggested by the CDC. Ebola cannot be contracted through the air or the water supply, and requires direct contact with the bodily fluids of someone already infected and exhibiting symptoms. It was only a matter of time before an Ebola case would emerge here in the United States, but as we’re seeing in Dallas today, our public health system has the resources, capabilities, and knowledge to address and contain this virus quickly and safely.

“The U.S. is doing the right thing by stepping up to the growing challenge of combatting the spread of Ebola in West Africa, and developing a vaccine and treatment. Without America’s aggressive and proactive engagement, there is a real threat that this virus might become a global pandemic.”

Earlier this month, after calling for expanded U.S. resources for combatting the spread of Ebola in West Africa, Senator Coons praised President Obama’s announcement of more than $750 million in resources and the planned deployment of 3,000 U.S. military personnel to help medical professionals contain the outbreak. Congress also authorized $58 million in funding for the Department of Health and Human Services to expedite development, testing, and production of a vaccine and treatment.

Additional medical information about Ebola is available from the CDC here:http://www.cdc.gov/vhf/ebola/outbreaks/2014-west-africa/qa.html