Maryland Surgeon Is America's Second Ebola Death

A surgeon from Prince George’s County, who was flown from West Africa to the United States for treatment after contracting the often-deadly Ebola virus, has died.

Dr. Martin Salia, 44, of New Carrollton is a native of Sierra Leona. Officials with the Nebraska Medical Center said Monday the doctor died overnight, a week after he was flown to Omaha to be treated in its special isolation facility.

Salia is the second person to die from Ebola in the United States. Ebola has killed more than 5,000 people in West Africa.

WUSA TV reports Salia became sick Nov. 6 while treating patients in Sierra Leone. He spent about four months at a time overseas, then returned to Maryland for time with his wife, son and other family members.

Medical authorities told WUSA that Salia’s first Ebola test was negative but four days later he tested positive for the virus. Doctors say Ebola tests taken within the first three days a patient shows symptoms are often inconclusive, and it shows how little health-care workers in West Africa know about the infectious virus.

“Dr. Salia was extremely critical when he arrived here, and unfortunately, despite our best efforts, we weren’t able to save him,” said Dr. Phil Smith, medical director of the Biocontainment Unit at Nebraska Medical Center, in a statement on Monday.

Salia was suffering from advanced symptoms of Ebola when he arrived at the hospital, officials said, which included kidney and respiratory failure. He was placed on dialysis, a ventilator and multiple medications to support his organ systems in an effort to help his body fight the disease. He also received a dose of convalescent plasma and ZMapp therapy was initiated on Saturday.

Isatu Salia, Dr. Salia’s wife, thanked the Nebraska medical team for its care of her husband.

“In the short time we spent here, it was apparent how caring and compassionate everyone was,” she told WUSA. “We are so appreciative of the opportunity for my husband to be treated here and believe he was in the best place possible.”

Salia’s wife, Isatu Salia, told CBS News in a telephone interview that when she spoke to her husband early Friday his voice sounded weak and shaky. But he told her “I love you” in a steady voice, she said.

The two prayed together, and their children, ages 12 and 20, are coping, Isatu Salia said.

»Sceenshot of Dr. Martin Salia from WUSA TV