Nurse infected with Ebola receives blood transfusion from infected doctor

Health workers in Dallas are trying to determine how nurse Nina Pham became infected with the Ebola virus, reports the Bosnian news agency Patria. 

Pham (26) cared for Thomas Eric Duncan, the first patient who lost his battle with the virus on U.S. soil.   

On Monday evening, the nurse received a transfusion of blood plasma from Kent Brantly, a doctor from Texas whose body defeated the virus.  

The director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Tom Frieden, apologized on Monday to workers at the Presbyterian hospital for his assessment that Pham became infected due to a "protocol breach." 

"I apologize to people who thought I was criticizing the hospital. I feel terrible that a health worker was infected while helping a patient with Ebola," Frieden said.

The CDC has yet to determine how the infection occurred. According to currently available information, Pham adhered to the protocol, wearing a mask, gloves, and other equipment that has proven effective for decades. 

"The existence of the first case of Ebola transmission in the U.S. changes some things, but some things remain the same. It does not change the fact that we know how the virus spreads and that patients can be treated safely, but it significantly changes our approach," Frieden said.