Dallas, October 1 (RHC)-- The United States has confirmed its first case of Ebola virus disease in the city of Dallas, which is also the first case outside of Africa. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced that a male patient tested positive for the disease on Tuesday.

CDC Director Thomas Frieden told reporters that the man fell ill in Liberia and traveled to the state of Texas. Upon arrival, he was hospitalized and quarantined after showing Ebola-like symptoms.

Ebola has already claimed more than 3,000 lives in West Africa and a small number of U.S. aid workers have recovered after being treated in the United States. There is currently no known cure for Ebola, which is a form of hemorrhagic fever with diarrhea, vomiting and bleeding as its symptoms.

The Ebola virus spreads through direct contact with infected blood, feces or sweat. It can also be spread through sexual contact or the unprotected handling of contaminated corpses.