U.S. and Liberian authorities are investigating if Dallas Ebola patient Thomas Eric Duncan knew he had been exposed to Ebola before coming to the U.S. If he did know, he could face criminal charges for aggravated assault for exposing others to the virus, according to a CBS DFW report.
"We're dealing with the issue that he may have knowingly exposed individuals in Dallas County to the Ebola virus," said Dallas County District Attorney Craig Watkins in the report. "We've prosecuted individuals for knowingly exposing individuals to HIV — which is aggravated assault."
Mr. Duncan allegedly helped carry a pregnant, Ebola-infected woman to a hospital while in Liberia, according to Courthouse News. However, The Washington Post reports Mr. Duncan allegedly reported not having contact with an Ebola patient on an airport screening questionnaire.
While Mr. Watkins said in the Courthouse News report that it would "irresponsible" to not investigate the issue, he said they must "tread lightly."
Added district attorney spokeswoman Debbie Denmon, "On a humanitarian note, it would be cruel and inhumane to go after a person on their deathbed, but at the same time the DA's office would want to show that there are consequences to entering the country by falsifying documents and then knowingly putting the public at risk."
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