Dallas Ebola Update: Police Trying To Find Homeless Man Who Rode In Ambulance

Dallas police are currently attempting to find a homeless man who rode in an ambulance that earlier carried Thomas Eric Duncan, the first person to be diagnosed with Ebola in the United States.

The homeless man was seen by health authorities in Dallas on Saturday. County Judge Clay Jenkins said Sunday during a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention press, that the man is  “asymptomatic” and currently “low risk.”

Dallas officials are looking for the homeless man “out of precautionary measures,” after he rode in the same ambulance that delivered Thomas Eric Duncan to the Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas last month.

It is not clear at this time if the man was ever checked for Ebola symptoms. However, Texas Health Commissioner David Lakey stressed during today’s press conference that the man and Duncan never had direct contact with each other, and the homeless man showed no symptoms of Ebola. However, the incubation period for Ebola is two to 21 days.

Officials also stressed that the homeless man is not one of the 10 people who are listed as having direct contact with Duncan. Instead, he is part of a group of 38 who had been around Duncan leading up to his Ebola symptoms.

During the press release officials stresses that, “We need the individual to help us by coming forward, and being a hero for his community by letting us help him.”

CBS 11 News reporter J.D. Miles tweeted a suspected photo of the homeless man:

#Breaking here's photo of Michael Lively Homeless man who may have been exposed to #Ebola that authorities can't find pic.twitter.com/MXR5Ehm9to

— J.D. Miles (@jdmiles11) October 5, 2014

WFFA Report Jason Whitely also took to Twitter to share the full information request posting:

Homeless man #Dallas is looking for rode in ambulance AFTER #Ebola patient was transported, @tanyaeiserer reported. pic.twitter.com/Z9061Ca5UR

— Jason Whitely (@JasonWhitely) October 5, 2014

Duncan is the first person in the United States to be diagnosed with Ebola. He traveled last month from Liberia to the United States. At the time of boarding his flight he did not show any Ebola symptoms. In order to reach his final Dallas, Texas destination he connected with flights in Brussels and Washington D.C.

It wasn’t until five days after he landed that Duncan began to feel sick. He originally was sent home for the hospital, but was rushed back to Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas two days later. He has been in isolation ever since his return.