If one reads an article like this one, it makes you realize the complexity of human psychology and the desire to believe what you want to believe in the face of a desperate situation. Also, how much trust do we put in what neighbors, friends, and people in authority tell us?

For one thing, the preganant landlord's daughter that Mr Duncan helped was reportedly diagnosed earlier at a clinic with malaria. I also read elsewhere a couple days ago (can't find that article again) that he was told by the family that the daughter was suffering from complications of her pregnancy when they sought his help to find medical help.

And if we believe stories that he was going to hop on a plane to marry his girlfriend in Texas in a matter of days, would he so willingly come into direct contact with someone he believed was gravely ill with Ebola? That doesn't add up.

I also agree with bws48's point that if he was so desperate to live and start his new life with his wife-to-be and he really thought he had Ebola, wouldn't he be more assertive at his first ER visit to Texas Presby? Would he let those people in the apartment tend to him like they did if he really thought he had Ebola? I would imagine that he realized the gravity of his situation at some point in this saga, whether back in Liberia or in Dallas, but perhaps he could not face that grim reality by that point.

On a related note, the news that the Dallas DA may prosecute Mr Duncan could be the wrong thing to do from a public health perspective. I think that will simply serve to stigmatize the sick (perhaps even Americans who get infected) and could drive infected people underground and that's the last thing you want. I don't think prosecution is a deterrant at all to keeping infected people out of the US but it may change people's behavior in undesirable ways once they are here.

The priority should be to find everyone who is infected or potentially infected, ideally, before they become infectious. Facing punishment just delays that discovery process, making it more likely an infected person becomes infectious out in public.

I said it before, but I think scrutinizing the Dallas case is important, and not just some morbid fascination, because it gives us an idea of how future cases will be handled across the country.