Second Texas nurse diagnosed with Ebola

A second health worker at the Texas hospital where the first case of Ebola contamination on US soil occurred has tested positive for the disease, the state government has said.

Like the first case, the second concerned a caregiver who treated a Liberian Ebola sufferer who later died at the Dallas hospital, the Texas Department of State Health Services said.

Nurse Nina Pham, 26, was diagnosed with the deadly virus after helping care for Thomas Eric Duncan, who had recently returned from Liberia.

Questions have been raised about how the nurses could have contracted Ebola despite apparently following all safety protocols.

It is believed Ms Pham could have become infected after touching her face with a glove while treating Duncan.

Nurses have called for the US government to provide better protective gear, including full Hazmat suits, to help them treat Ebola patients with more confidence.