Monitoring in 'Critical Stage' for People in Contact With Ebola Patient

Health officials in Dallas are in a "critical stage" in monitoring the people who came into contact with deceased Ebola patient Thomas Eric Duncan, said the city's Mayor Mike Rawlings.

There are eight or nine people in the "high risk area," Rawlings told MSNBC's "Morning Joe." He said they were nearing the final week of twice-daily testing for those who came into contact with Duncan.

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"We are in this critical stage. I want to get through this week. We need to get through the whole 21 days," Rawlings said Thursday. "We've got about nine, eight or nine, in the high risk area. And then we've got the remainder that are in the low risk, but we're looking at every one of them."

Duncan died Wednesday after being admitted to a Dallas hospital in late September. He had traveled to the United States from Liberia, and was the first person in the U.S. diagnosed with the deadly disease.

Rawlings said health officials were "a little slow" early in the process in diagnosing Duncan after an initial visit to an emergency room didn't reveal the disease. Rawlings said he didn't know if an earlier diagnosis would have made a difference in Duncan's condition.

There were not any animals in contact with Duncan, Rawlings said, since it is thought the disease can be transmitted through pets.

If a person starts showing symptoms, Rawlings said the city is making sure "they're quarantined very quickly, including all the animals that are around."

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