Ebola in Texas: Second Dallas healthcare worker tests positive for virus

The worker also treated Ebola victim Thomas Duncan before his death

The emergency entrance to Texas Health Presbyterian hospital, where a second person has been diagnosed with Ebola (AP)

A second healthcare worker has tested positive for Ebola in Texas, health department officials have confirmed.

The health care worker provided care for Ebola victim Thomas Eric Duncan at the Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital and reported a fever on Tuesday, the Texas Department of State Health said in a statement.

It said the person was immediately placed in isolation at the hospital before a preliminary test was run late on Tuesday evening.

Nina Pham became the first person to contract the deadly virus in Dallas at the weekend. Ms Pham had been in close contact with Mr Duncan while treating him before his death last Wednesday.

The diagnosis comes after the head of the United Nations mission for Ebola warned the virus “got a head start on us, is far ahead of us, is running faster than us and is winning the race”.

Anthony Banbury told the UN Security Council the global response to the Ebola crisis must meet critical goals by December "or face an entirely unprecedented situation for which we don't have a plan."

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a statement that it was performing confirmation testing of Texas' preliminary tests on the new patient.

"An additional health care worker testing positive for Ebola is a serious concern, and the CDC has already taken active steps to minimize the risk to health care workers and the patient," the CDC said.

Additional reporting by AP