True, HIPAA comes into play. Although the public certainly knew a lot about most of the people flown back to the US, even before they even arrived, like Dr. Kent Brantly and Nancy Writebol. Did they consent to updating the public on their condition? I don't know.

Then again, there's also little known about the "other" US case--the person admitted to the NIH facility in Bethesda. So, the information flow can be inconsistent.

From what's been released recently, this new Dallas case appears to be a Texas resident.

Edit: On the drive home, the radio said the patient is from Liberia, not Texas, and came to the States to visit relatives. The report also said he was not in contact with many people after he arrived.