26-year-old Nina Pham Confirmed As First Person To Contract Ebola In U.S.

The Huffington Post | By Alana Horowitz Email Posted: 10/13/2014 12:39 pm EDT 

TThe identity of the Dallas health care worker who contracted Ebola after treating a patient who later died of the virus has been confirmed.

26-year-old Nina Pham

The family of 26-year-old Nina Pham, a nurse at Dallas' Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital, confirmed the news to WFAA.The family also confirmed the news to USA Today.Pham had been helping to treat Thomas Eric Duncan, the Liberian man who was diagnosed with Ebola last month. Duncan was the first person to be diagnosed with Ebola in the United States. He died last week.

Last week, Texas health officials announced that a hospital worker who treated Duncan had showed symptoms of the virus. They confirmed the diagnosis on Sunday.

According to CNN, Pham was wearing protective gear whenever she had contact with Duncan.

CDC Director Tom Frieden blamed the Dallas Ebola spread on a breach of protocol.He said on Monday that he wouldn't be surprised if another hospital worker became ill. Here's a picture of Pham, courtesy of WFAA.