Cruise ship with Ebola nurse turned away from Mexico

A Carnival cruise ship reportedly carrying a nurse who treated the first person diagnosed with Ebola in the U.S. has been turned away from Mexico, officials with the company confirmed on Friday. 

The nurse, who has not yet been named, treated Thomas Eric Duncan in the Dallas hospital where he was diagnosed with Ebola earlier this month. 

She handled blood that was drawn for tests on Duncan, who died last week from complications associated with the deadly disease, according to the reports. 

{mosads}The nurse was traveling on a cruise ship that was scheduled to travel from Galveston to Cozumel, Mexico, but officials in Mexico refused to allow the ship to pull into port because of the concerns about Ebola. 

The nurse in question elected to self-quarantine herself on board the ship while she waited to see if she developed signs of the virus, which typically develop within 21 days of exposure to the disease, according to international health officials. 

Carnival said in a statement Friday that the ship was being turned around to Texas as a precaution. 

“The Carnival Magic, which was waiting off the coast of Cozumel, Mexico this morning to dock there for a scheduled port visit, had not received clearance from Mexican authorities to do so by 12 noon eastern time today and the decision was made to proceed to Galveston to ensure the ship arrives there on time on Sunday morning,” the company said. 

The company added that the unnamed nurse has not shown signs of developing Ebola-like symptoms herself and is not considered a threat to other passengers who are traveling on the cruise ship. 

“The Texas healthcare worker on board continues to show no symptoms of illness and poses no risk to the guests or crew on board,” Carnival said. “The individual remains in voluntary isolation. Guests on the ship are being provided a $200 per person credit to their shipboard accounts and a 50 percent on a future cruise based on the missed visit to Cozumel.”