The American doctor based in Liberia who tested positive for Ebola virus is in grave condition, but health officials assured the public that the United States is still free from the deadly virus.

Kent Brantly, a 33-year old health missionary in Africa, is currently in an isolation unit in Liberia. He served as an aid worker following the virus outbreak that killed over 670 people in Guinea, Sierra Leone, and Liberia. Brantly is now among those being treated.

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According to Dr. David Mcray, an official from John Peter Smith Hospital where Brantly completed his four-year residency, Brantly admitted to him that he is "terrified" over his worsening condition and asked to pray for Brantly and his colleague Nancy Writebol, the second American co-worker diagnosed with Ebola virus.

"I'm praying fervently that God will help me survive this disease," Brantly told Mcray in an email, as reported by the Associated Press.

Brantly and Writebol are the first reported cases of Americans who contracted the deadly virus, which underline the need for U.S. health officials to take precautionary measures to ensure that virus will not spread to the U.S.

Ebola remains incurable and is spreading in African countries. It has recorded the highest number of deaths in virus-related diseases. The Ebola symptoms include fever, sore throat, vomiting, diarrhea and internal bleeding, World Health Organization said.

Michael Osterholm, director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota, warned that the virus could spread to the U.S. through an infected passenger. He said some cases would only be detected once they have arrived in one country.

Meanwhile, the family of Brantly who lived in Liberia is now in the U.S. but health officials said they tested negative from the virus. Officials said the family arrived in the U.S. before David contracted the virus.

For good measure, the Centers for Disease Control sent a health advisory to U.S. doctors on Monday about the outbreak and said no major risks were posed by Ebola virus to over 320 million Americans living in the U.S.

The virus has an incubation period of up to three weeks, and has infected over people, according to the data of WHO. 

TagsEbola Virus, Virus, Africa