Dr. Anthony Fauci, a top-notch infectious disease doctor told Fox News Sunday that increased number of Ebola cases in United States is not far-fetched especially that 50 other suspected patients are under close monitoring.

Fauci, director of the National Institute of Infectious Diseases, said he will "not be surprised if somebody who has close contact with Mr. [Thomas Eric] Duncan" will be infected with the same virus.

Like Us on Facebook

Duncan, a resident of Monrovia in Liberia, is currently in isolation at the Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital in Texas. His condition worsened from "serious" to "critical" since his hospitalization on Wednesday, reported Reuters.

Ten of the 50 potentially-infected individuals are identified as high risk. Four of them are reported to have had direct contact with Duncan during his family visit in Dallas last week.

Centers of Disease Control and Prevention director Thomas Frieden said Duncan will not be treated with the experimental medicine ZMapp, adding that the drug will "not be available anytime soon."

Frieden clarified that Ebola is not airborne but can spread through direct contact with blood, sweat, vomit, feces, urine, saliva, or semen.

Meanwhile, Fauci dismissed scenarios of illegal immigrants crossing the U.S.-Mexico border spreading infections from Ebola. He also downplayed theories that the virus could be used as a biological weapon by leftists or terrorist groups.

In the interview with Fox News, Fauci opposed closing of U.S. entry and exit points to African countries hit by Ebola. He justified that such move would only obstruct imports and exports as well as the flow of personnel thus harming various economies.

According to World Health Organization (WHO), 3,400 people were killed out of 7,470 suspected cases of Ebola since the outbreak of the virus. The WHO added that 382 of this are health workers while some are missionaries and news crew working on assignments in Africa.

TagsHealth Medical Pharma, Biology, Microbiology, medicine, Anthony Fauci