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Doctor who contracted Ebola is in grave condition

Dr. Kent BrantlyAP

A doctor from Texas is in grave condition and terrified for his life after he contracted the incurable Ebola virus he was treating in West Africa, colleagues said Monday.

Dr. Kent Brantley, 33, is one of two Americans in the region who have contracted the deadly disease, which has now killed nearly 700 people in West Africa, according to the World Health Organization.

The father of two had been treating Ebola victims in Monrovia, Liberia, when he began to notice symptoms related to the virus, CBS reports.

“I’m praying fervently that God will help me survive this disease,” he said in an email sent to his colleague, Dr. David Mcray, who worked with Brantly at John Peter Smith Hospital in Fort Worth.

Brantly with his wife and their two childrenFacebook

He also requested that people send their prayers and well-wishes to Nancy Writebol, his co-worker at the hospital and second American doctor to contract the disease in Liberia.

Despite being scared for his life, family and friends said he had no regrets and was well aware of the numerous risks he faced when he chose to treat the dangerous epidemic.

“Kent prepared himself to be a lifetime medical missionary,” said his mother, Jan Brantly.

“His heart is in Africa.”

Brantly started his two-year fellowship in Liberia with Samaritan’s Purse last October in hopes of serving as their general practitioner, which meant performing duties such as delivering babies and surgery, according to CBS.

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But as the Ebola virus began to sweep through Guinea and into Liberia, Brantly and his wife, Amber, began to question whether they should remain in Africa with their two children, ages 3 and 5.

Instead of fleeing, the family decided to stay and help fight the virus.

Brantly became the director of the Ebola clinic at his mission hospital in Monrovia, where he wore a full-body protective suit for hours each day in the scorching heat as he treated countless numbers of infected patients.

After realizing he had contracted the virus, Brantly immediately quarantined himself and followed strict procedures on what to do when treating patients.

Just days before he became ill and isolated himself, Amber and their two children had left for the US to attend a wedding, CBS reports.

They had shown no signs of Ebola virus and their temperatures were monitored regularly upon their arrival to ensure there were no symptoms of the disease.

But that hasn’t stopped people from being worried that the family presented an extreme risk of the viral infection to the US.

Brantly (right) wears personal protective equipment as he gives orders for medication to the Ebola patients through the doorway of the isolation unit at ELWA Hospital in Monrovia, Liberia.Reuters

“(This outbreak) is very difficult to contain because it keeps popping up in different places,” said University of Texas Medical Branch professor of microbiology and immunology Dr. Tom Geisbert.

Brantly (left) treats an Ebola patient.Reuters

“The other thing that concerns us is the number of health care workers that are being infected … doctors or nurses. This is just crazy with the number of medical personnel getting infected.”

On Monday, Stephan Monroe of the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention assured people that “Ebola poses little risk to the general US population,” according to CBS.

Efforts to evacuate Brantly from Liberia and into Europe have failed recently because of the major concern from countries that believe he poses a threat to their health and security.

The health ministry of Liberia is currently investigating how Brantly could have contracted Ebola since he took so many precautions to prevent it from happening.

“We’re trying to figure out what went wrong because he was always very careful,” said assistant health minister Tolbert Nyenswah.

Early signs and symptoms of the Ebola virus include fever, headache, lack of appetite, stomach pain, vomiting and sore throat.

People can contract the disease through direct contact with blood and other bodily fluids, as well as indirect contact with “environments contaminated with such fluids,” according to the World Health Organization.