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Mass. Doctor Infected With Ebola Now Eating, Listening To Music

OMAHA, Neb. (CBS/AP) — The Worcester doctor who became infected with Ebola while working in Liberia has been able to eat and is listening to music, his wife said Monday.

Dr. Rick Sacra, 51, arrived at the Nebraska Medical Center on Friday for treatment in the hospital's specialized isolation unit.

"He had some breakfast this morning, which is a change," his wife Debbie said in a statement Monday.

"He hasn't been able to eat much since he got here, but he had some toast and apple sauce. He also tolerated the research drug well – better than he had the previous doses he was given."

Sacra is receiving an experimental drug that is different than the one given to two earlier American Ebola patients who were treated in Atlanta.

Doctors say Sacra is making progress, but it's not yet clear if he will recover.

Sacra contracted Ebola while treating patients in West Africa working for SIM, an international mission group.

"We had a good conversation last night," said Debbie. "We were able to speak again via video conference for about a half hour. He also wanted some music to listen to, so staff members here were able to help make that happen."

Sacra's wife said her husband was "humbled" by some of the things his colleagues in Worcester had to say about him, after word spread of his infection.

(TM and © Copyright 2014 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2014 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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