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Officials Believe Ebola Patient Lied at Airport; Duncan Showed No Signs of Ebola in Africa; Racing to Create Ebola Treatments; New Search for Missing Malaysian Plane

Aired October 05, 2014 - 14:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, everyone. I'm Fredricka Whitefield. These are the top stories this hour in the NEWSROOM.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TOM FRIEDEN, CDC DIRECTOR: We remain deeply concerned about what's happening in Africa. Not only because of Africa, but because the longer it goes on there the more it might spread to other countries and the greater the risk to us.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: The Ebola outbreak front and center from west Africa to the U.S. This, as the first diagnosed patient on American soil takes a turn for the worse. We'll take you the hospital where he is being treated right now.

Plus, expert analysis with the former U.S. surgeon general, David Satcher live for us right here in the studio.

And we have new details about the U.S. soldier believed to be the first American military casualty in the fight against ISIS. This as the parents of another American being held by ISIS speaks out. We'll go to the front lines coming up.

And resuming the search for Malaysia airlines flight 370. Could this latest attempt with new technology solve one of the greatest airline mysteries of all time?

We begin with bold news conference today from the man leading the charge to fight the deadly Ebola virus in the United States. Just a short time ago, CDC chief Tom Frieden spoke to reporters saying he has no doubt that Ebola will be stopped in its tracks.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

FRIEDEN: We have no doubt that we'll stop it in its tracks in Texas. It's worth stepping back and saying how Ebola spreads. Ebola only spreads by direct contact with someone who is sick or with their body fluids. So the core of control is identifying everyone who might have had contact with them and making sure they're monitored for 21 days. And if they develop symptoms immediately isolating them to break the chain of transmission.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Health officials aren't taking any chances. We learned Dallas police are now racing to find another person who may have had contact with Ebola patient Thomas Duncan. The person is considered low risk. Ten other people who had direct contact with Duncan are also being monitored.

Meanwhile, Thomas Duncan the only person diagnosed with Ebola in the U.S. is fighting for his life. He is in critical condition.

Let's go to Martin Savidge in Dallas. So Martin, Dr. Frieden spoke about Thomas Duncan's condition. What more did he say?

MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, as you pointed out, he is taking a turn for the worse. The we knew yesterday, we are anticipating that we are going to get an update on his condition in just a short while from hospital officials here. We don't know exactly a turn for the worse what it means other than, of course, he's gone from stable, serious as it was initially diagnosed as to now critical. But why or what complications he may be suffering other than of course he's fighting a deadly virus, the health officials have not gone into.

Then, we want to talk about something else and that's this warning or alert that is coming out now from authorities here local authorities. There are, as you pointed out about 50 people being monitored. Ten are considered high risk and those are all accounted for. But the others, there is one person who is considered low risk who was monitored yesterday, but cannot be found today and that's troubling to authorities. Police know who this person is, it's a male and apparently somebody who is homeless. In other words doesn't have a regular place they go.

And so, authorities are out on the streets now where the name, with the identity and trying to locate that person for the purposes of monitoring them today. Again, they're trying to stress to the public -- this is a fine line for them. They want to find this person. They like to find this person urgently. But this person, the stress, is not a risk, he's not infected, does not have Ebola, but he's one of those people that you wanted to monitor on a daily basis.

And so far today, they have not found that person. This is the head of the Dallas investigation who put out a plea, Judge Clay Jenkins.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JUDGE CLAY JENKINS, DALLAS COUNTY DISTRICT: We just need to locate this individual and we can use your help in letting them know they're not in trouble. We want to move them to a comfortable and compassionate place and care for every need while we monitor them throughout the monitoring period.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SAVIDGE: This is a tough one. You can see for authorities because of course when they say monitoring, what they mean is they want to take the person's temperature like the other people who are being monitored, usually twice a day. So you want to say, we want to find this person, but you don't want to alarm the public in any way and you don't want to brand this individual that they should be feared or somehow despised by the public. So it's a very difficult thing to manage.

And it also points out once again that you may have a good, solid plan, but how do you monitor people that don't want to be monitored?

WHITFIELD: Right.

SAVIDGE: So another complication that they're finding with this person.

WHITFIELD: And then help me understand this. I know you said this person is considered low risk. However, you heard from the judge there who said we want to move that person into the comfortable place because you said this person might be homeless or maybe transient. Moving around from place to place. They are not putting all of the low risk people in comfortable places for monitoring though, right? This is just an exception.

SAVIDGE: Right. What they have done is that those people who they are concerned could disappear or those people who out of fear might run away or because of misunderstandings, those are the ones that they have said, you know, maybe we need to monitor more closely. And by that they mean physically keeping an eye on their whereabouts.

The rest of the group are considered to be health officials or paramedics or those who would voluntarily who come forward to say I want to make sure that I'm checked every day. There are others in society who, because of whatever reasons in their background, may not feel law enforcement is so kind enough. So that's the problem when you are dealing with this kind of a circumstance.

WHITFIELD: All right. Thanks so much. Martin Savidge there in Dallas. Keep us posted.

Meantime overseas, we are learning more about the woman in Liberia who Eric Thomas Duncan, rather, came in to contact with. She has since died from Ebola.

Let's go to Liberia and get an update from Nima Elbagir who has been covering the outbreak there for weeks now. She's in the hot zone in Monrovia.

NIMA ELBAGIR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Fred, we have been speaking to the family of the Marthalene Williams, the 19-year-old pregnant teenage Ebola victim that Thomas Eric Duncan is believed to have come in contacted with. Her aunt who is quarantined quarantine and looking after her remaining siblings while both her mother and father are in the Ebola treatment center, told CNN that nobody thought for one moment when that girl dropped to the ground that she was suffering from Ebola and that Eric Duncan was one of mostly dozens of neighbors who rushed to her aid. She was in fact taken to a separate hospital, not to the Ebola treatment center. And when she was brought back the family of the aunt says -- believes that she was suffering from complications from her pregnancy. It was only after Eric Duncan left to go to the airport that she passed away and then gave a positive test for Ebola.

And it's not just Eric Duncan that people are concerned about here. It is all of her family, friends and loved ones. Her best friend who helped prepare her body for burial has to come disease, her half brother has also since passed away and many, many of her neighbors and close friends are seeking treatment -- Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right, Nima Elbagir. Thank you so much from Monrovia.

All right, now the latest on the battle against ISIS. The fighting continues around the Syrian town of Kobani, along the border with Turkey. Despite coalition airstrike, ISIS fighters have reached the outskirts of the city.

And CNN's Phil Black is in the area and earlier spoke with CNN's Jim Clancy. He said some locals are making a dash for Turkey and they are being met by teargas by Turkish authorities.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PHIL BLACK, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Largely Kurdish people from Turkey because the ethnic group -- sorry, they just fired some more teargas into this crowded area here, Jim. And the crowd is responding. They're picking up the canisters and trying to throw them at a distance. It is in the air. It's certainly biting us but we're able to continue going at this stage. I think. OK. Keep the gas mask close just in case.

The teargas is in the air. It's beginning to bite a little in the air. What I'm trying to say, Jim, that these Kurdish people, for them it's their homeland both on this Turkish side of the border but also, of course, on the Syrian side as well.

What it represents for ISIS is very much -- a very important strategic foot hold. That would give ISIS access to the vast section of the Turkish border which is large considered to be a key re-supply route for ISIS.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: All right. Thanks so much to Phil Black there along the Turkish -Syrian border.

A 21-year-old marine is believed to be the first American casualty in the fight against ISIS. Corporal Jordan Spears bailed out of an osprey military plane when it appeared it might crash into the Persian Gulf. Her went missing Wednesday and the Pentagon said he was lost at sea. Spears has been declared dead, but his death hasn't been classified yet. So, it's still not known if it will be considered a combat fatality.

And pleas to spare the life of British aid worker Alan Henning went unanswered by ISIS. So now, the family of another hostage, American aid worker Peter Kassig have released a video asking his captors to show mercy and free him.

Here is Alexandra Field.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALEXANDRA FIELD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A 26-year-old man from Indiana held captive by ISIS. Chillingly, they have warned the world Peter Kassig could be their next victim following the brutal killing of Alan Henning, a British aid worker. In agony, Kassig's parents are appealing to those holding him.

ED KASSIG, PETER KASSIG'S FATHER: We know that the Syrians are suffering. We also believe violence is not the solution to the problems that trouble us all.

PAULA KASSIG, PETER KASSIG'S MOTHER: Most of all, know that we love you. And our hearts ache for you to be granted your freedom so we can hug you again. And then set you free to continue the life you have chosen. The life of service to those in greatest need.

FIELD: Captive for a year now, Kassig's parents say their son had been helping Syrian refugees.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I just remember him saying like he felt like he had a bigger calling. He went to school here at Butler. And he felt like he wanted to go out and do more for, you know, just humanity as a whole which was so inspiring for me. You know, as a Syrian, as an American with Syrian roots to see someone that, you know, cared so much about a people he technically didn't have any relation to.

FIELD: Kassig is from Indianapolis. He went to north central high school and then decided to serve, deploying to Iraq with the army rangers in 2007. He went on to study political science at Butler University.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He talked a lot about his plans. You know, he always wanted to do something that was bigger than his life as he said it. He is being part of a bigger picture.

FIELD: Kassig soon changed course. Training to become an EMT and then setting out on another mission to serve. This time taking on humanitarian aid work. In 2012 he was treating wounded Syrians when he spoke to CNN's Arwa Damon in Lebanon.

PETER KASSIG, ISIS HOSTAGE: This is what I was put here to do. I guess I'm just a hopeless romantic and I'm an idealist. And I believe in hopeless causes.

FIELD: One year later he was running a nongovernmental organization in Turkey working on both sides of the Syrian border to deliver food and medical supplies and to give refugees much need medical care.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He wanted to be on the ground, helping people. And he had some, you know, medic skills from his time in the military. And so, I think he saw this, you know, saw a dire need and he thought he could help fill that need. (END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Kassig has been held captive for a year. And we were told his parents have tried to stay out of the spotlight but have been working for the large team to do everything they can to bring their son home.

Supporters of Michael Brown surprised an audience at a symphony orchestra in Missouri because they were the ones doing the singing.

And student protesters in Hong Kong aren't backing down despite a government ultimatum.

Plus, a former U.S. surgeon general David Satcher answering your Ebola questions next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Student protesters in Hong Kong are running out of time after a week of paralyzing protests they have been ordered to clear the way to government buildings by Monday morning.

CNN's Will Ripley is there on the scene. So Will, it's already 2:00 a.m. there, Monday. Any indication that the protesters are going to heed that warning and move out?

WILL RIPLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, we've move aid way from admiralty where we showed you yesterday the thousands of protesters who are still gathered at this hour. Because this is a key area, this is outside the office of the chief executive C.Y. Long. And this is the area that the Hong Kong authorities have repeatedly said needs to be cleared in just a matter of hours to give government employees the chance to drive beyond this barricade, beyond those police officers to get to work, 3,000 of them were forced to stay home on Friday because the protesters refused to go.

Some of the students here, some of the protesters here did clear out. They listened to the government, but the ones you see here right now, Fred, they say they're not moving. Many of them have goggles and protective face mask. They say they're waiting for what's to come.

WHITFIELD: And as for these protesters who say they are going to stay put, what do they feel they're risking?

RIPLEY: Well, essentially, as I have talked to protesters in the crowd, they say this is their only leverage. This is the only bargaining power they have. By being here on these streets, unwilling to compromise until they get the change they're demanding which is true democracy here in the city of Hong Kong and/or the resignation of the chief executive. Both things aren't likely to happen any time soon. But I will say that they seem to be working more closely, Fred, with the authorities.

One example, just a short time ago, when an ambulance needed to cross this barricade. This group of young men moved the barricade aside, allowed the ambulance to pass through. And then they closed it back up again. So at least that is a sign that for emergency services, they seem to be willing now to compromise a bit more. But still, many people here are waiting to see what could happen by the time workers need to go to work a few hours from now.

WHITFIELD: Will Ripley, thanks so much in Hong Kong. Keep us posted.

Back in this country, the St. Louis symphony orchestra came to a halt last night when a group of Michael Brown protesters started to sing.

(VIDEO CLIP PLAYING)

WHITFIELD: Officials say at least 50 protesters sang the civil rights song which side are you on, near the end of intermission. And they held up banners with the birth dates of the 18-year-old Michael Brown, who was shot and killed by a Ferguson police officer. The protesters walked out quietly and no one was arrested. The symphony continued on with its other performances.

All right, getting back to our top story, the CDC director is preparing to brief President Obama about the Ebola crisis tomorrow. This after Dr. Tom Frieden says the CDC is now considering new entry screenings at airports.

Former U.S. surgeon general and CDC director Dr. David Satcher is here with me.

So Dr. Frieden also says that the CDC is taking 800 calls and emails right now. While health officials are saying don't panic, naturally people have a whole lot of questions. What does Dr. Frieden need to continue to convey to the public or perhaps he hasn't conveyed a message that you think should be conveyed?

DOCTOR DAVID SATCHER, FORMER U.S. SURGEON GENERAL: I think Tom Frieden is doing a great job. I think he's courageous and he's been very articulate on this issue. And I think it's appropriate to ask people not to panic.

But I also think that's a reason for serious concern. I mean, we live in a global community. And so, as we used to say, any outbreak that occurs anywhere in the world can be in this country within 24 hours.

It is true that we have a stronger infrastructure than they have in Africa. But it's still as we have seen recently doesn't mean that a person can't leave Africa and come here after being infected with Ebola. So vigilance is appropriate.

WHITFIELD: Because we're a transient globe, people are going to travel from one point to the next and it is incumbent upon those exiting countries that they take the temperature. But just as we saw in the case of Thomas Duncan, if that person doesn't have a temperature when they get on the plane, and they do become sick while they're airborne or perhaps once they even come to the states, one has to wonder then what is the best preventative measure when you talk about people traveling?

SATCHER: Well, let me say there's some good news here and the good news is as you heard, you can't catch Ebola through the air. It's not easy to catch Ebola. You have to come in contact with somebody after they become ill. And that's important. If you can get infected from someone before they became ill, then I think we'd be in trouble.

But I think as we know about Ebola, you get it only after, they have started to have fluids coming out of their bodies. Either in terms of vomiting or diarrhea or other forms of sweat, tears. So that means that it's not easy to catch it. But it also means that it is a very dangerous disease and once it infects one, that person suffers rapidly.

WHITFIELD: And what kind of airport screenings would you advocate, whether it be on either side of the ocean?

SATCHER: Well, number one, I would agree with taking temperatures and if a person has a fever, that should serious concern. And obviously, finding out where the person has been and whether they have been in contact with somebody who's had the disease.

Now, as we have seen with Mr. Duncan, people don't always tell the truth especially when trying to get to a country where everyone thinks we have the cure for Ebola. We don't. Of course, we can treat people better here than they can in Africa.

WHITFIELD: You were involved in the fight in Zaire when Ebola hit Zaire, over 200 people died in that case which is a tiny fraction compared to what we are seeing in this three nations in west Africa. But how would you compare the U.S. approach to helping to lead the fight against Ebola?

SATCHER: Well, let me I say, I think more people have already died in this outbreak than have died in all of the outbreaks before this one. When I was director of the CDC in 1995, we had the outbreak in Zaire. I think about 315 people were infected, 250 people died. So 80 percent fatality rate.

So far, this outbreak has involved only about a 50 to 55 percent fatality rate. So they're all different. But I think it's really critical for us to be more vigilant than we have been. And obviously, the emergency room situation in Dallas, everybody now knows we should have been much more vigilant, not just the nurses but the doctors also.

WHITFIELD: OK. You're going to stick around. Dr. Satcher is going to stick around because we are going to talk about another virus that has a lot of people, particularly, parents very nervous. We are talking about enterovirus D 68 op what you need to know about the birus which really takes a toll particularly on children across the country next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right. The other big health scare in America is the spread of the virus called enterovirus d-68 or EV-68 for short. Health officials say active cases are in 43 states, more than 500 people are infected and four children have died, including a child from New Jersey who passed away on Wednesday.

Former U.S. surgeon general and former CDC director Doctor David Satcher is back with me now.

So this is particularly scary for parents who are wondering to what extent can I protect my child. What's the simple answer if there's one?

SATCHER: Well, unfortunately, I don't think we know enough about enterovirus-68 yet, but I do think that children who develop the symptoms of this virus which is similar to the symptoms of other viruses need to be closely guarded and protected. Because what kills people, with many viral infections are other things that happen after they get the infection. So I think a few children have suffered paralysis. We don't fully understand that and why they're suffering it. But obviously there's an interactive been each individual's body and virus in terms of antibodies or not having antibodies. So I think we have a lot to learn. We need to be very aggressive with this virus.

WHITFIELD: And what does that mean, to be aggressive? Because there's no antiviral medicine and people don't know they have it until they have it and then they, you know, get treatment like I.V. fluids or, you know, they're in areas that have been sanitized. But what does it mean to be aggressive?

SATCHER: Well, for one thing it means working very hard to develop a vaccine. It means really learning as much about this virus as we can. When I went to the CDC in 1993, we had not seen hantavirus before. And it was the first time and we used (INAUDIBLE) chain reaction PCR to diagnose that outbreak, so we need to bring all of our technology to bear on this virus to learn as much as we can and then to intervene as early as possible.

Education is critical. People need to understand the earliest symptoms, they need to respond as early as possible. And I think that's the best way to protect children.

WHITFIELD: And what do you say to families, parents who are saying you know what? Since I'm not sure how my child will be exposed to this, I won't let them go to school. I'm not going to let them go to the playground. I'm afraid for them to interact with anyone, touch anything.

SATCHER: Well, while I understand the sentiment I don't think it's merited yet at this point. I think there are a lot of things out there in the environment that children can encounter. We'd like to think that we help vaccines for most of them. But when a new one develops, then we have to all get together and make sure that we week eyes on our children. And that we were respond as rapidly as possible. I used an overreaction to say you and I are going to send your child to school.

WHITFIELD: And as we enter flu/cold season, what do you tell parents, what do you tell people to look for? What are the identifying qualities of Enterovirus? SATCHER: Well, let me say since you mentioned flu season the first thing I would tell everybody is to get immunized. I have to tell you that less than half of the American people are getting the flu shot. We have many more people dying from the flu than from Ebola or Enterovirus 68.

So we need to really respond to what we can do in terms of vaccines and taking the appropriate steps. So I would tell parents to be really observant of their children and as soon as the child shows the kind of illnesses that we're describing here.

Not just routine fever that we see with the common cold, but children who have complications such as asthma and other problems are especially at risk and need to be protected.

WHITFIELD: All right, Dr. David Satcher, thanks so much and good to see you. Appreciate it.

SATCHER: You're welcome. Good to see you, Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right. Our legal ladies are coming up next and we're talking Ebola with them in terms of possible prosecution? The man infected with Ebola in Dallas could be facing charges in Liberia and the U.S. That story, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right. Welcome back to the NEWSROOM. I'm Fredricka Whitfield. Here's a look at the top stories making news right now. A typhoon hit Southern Japan and washes three U.S. airmen out to sea. One of the men has died. Search efforts are underway for the two other airmen. All three were stationed at the U.S. military base in Okinawa.

Vice President Joe Biden apologizes to Turkey's leader after making remarks about him during a speech at Harvard. Biden said that the Turkish president admitted that his country had made mistakes allowing foreign fighters to cross into Syria. The Turkish leader denied making any such statements and demanded an apology from Biden.

Members of Congress and the U.S. Supreme Court sought guidance from a higher power today. They went to red mass this morning in Washington. The mass requests guidance from the Holy Spirit for all who seek justice and that includes the Supreme Court, which begins its new term tomorrow.

An American doctor treated for Ebola in Nebraska and released is back in the hospital. Dr. Richard Sacra went to an emergency room yesterday in Boston with a cough and fever.

He was transferred to another hospital in the Boston area and is now being held in isolation. Doctors don't think he's had a recurrence of Ebola, but will keep him hospitalized until they get the all clear from the CDC.

The Ebola infected man fighting for his life in a Dallas hospital could now face prosecution in his home country of Liberia. A Liberian airport official says if Thomas Eric Duncan lied on a questionnaire he filled out before flying to the U.S., charges will be filed.

The "Associated Press" have a copy of that questionnaire and they are reporting that it says he did not have any contact with anyone with Ebola. However, there are reports that he took a sick relative to a clinic that relative later died from Ebola.

Let's talk about this with our legal ladies, Judge Glenda Hatchett is a former juvenile court judge and criminal defense attorney, Tanya Miller also with us. Wow. This is really quite the signal that Liberia is sending, right, Tanya --

TANYA MILLER, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Absolutely.

WHITFIELD: If you falsify any information on this questionnaire, this is a deadly virus, you will seek prosecution. How would -- we will seek as a country seek prosecution. How do they go about that?

MILLER: Like with any kind of charge or criminal allegation, you have to investigate what is the proof? It's one thing to say that he lied on a form. It's another thing to prove that he knew, this person, who he provided aid to had Ebola.

So the question will be like it is in any criminal case, what he knew, what symptoms that he's displaying and what exactly did he check no to on that form? If they can definitely prove that he lied.

He fabricated and he did that knowingly then ultimately they do have enough to prosecute him. The question will be as a practical matter whether he will survive to be prosecuted. I think that's the least of his worries at this point in time.

WHITFIELD: So the interesting, I guess, components here. If he survives, thank goodness, he survives Ebola, but then he has to face prosecution. The other way of looking at it is Liberia said we have to send a strong signal to anybody that this is serious business and we need people to be as honest as possible, as forthright as possible so as to prevent anybody else from being exposed.

JUDGE GLENDA HATCHETT, FORMER JUVENILE COURT JUDGE: I think it's a deterrent. I'm hoping he will survive, but he's very sick. Let's assume he survives and he goes back and they do prosecute him. It really is not for this man, it is a signal for all of the people who are traveling from this country.

And the president who has been very, very passionate on this issue doesn't want as a practical matter, Fredricka, for the current economy to be further eroded.

She does not need the airplanes to stop flying there and she does not need or the any more scrutiny or any backlash. So she has to say -- now, legally, as Tanya says, they have to prove it. They have to prove that he knew it.

WHITFIELD: That he knew she had Ebola. He knew she was sick because he was assisting, but did he know what she has.

MILLER: She was also pregnant.

HATCHETT: Right. So one of the neighbors who saw the whole incident -- the ambulance didn't come. That's what happened. These neighbors rushed to her aid. She collapses. They get her to the hospital.

The question is did he know? Did he know that she was sick with -- now, the neighbor said she had died afterwards, that he had left and did not know so that's going to be the real question. What does he know?

WHITFIELD: Now what about potentially the U.S., would the U.S. consider facing prosecution -- anyone facing prosecution if they entered the country knowing they have been exposed?

MILLER: I think it depends. If there were an official document that asked someone have you been in -- a U.S. document, have you been in contact with anyone with Ebola or whatever the question would be.

If you falsify an official document, you can be charged. That is a law in probably every state in our union and the federal government has a making false statements to a federal official or in a federal proceeding --

WHITFIELD: You fill out the forms --

MILLER: All kinds of forms. You can't lie on important government forms. So if we get to that point, which I'm hoping we don't. I don't we will, but if we ever did, certainly a person can face prosecution if they lied knowingly.

HATCHETT: My big issue he went to the hospital and didn't tell anyone that he might have been exposed.

WHITFIELD: He did say he came from Liberia.

HATCHETT: Yes. But he didn't say that he was in an area and he might have been exposed and they sent him home with antibiotics. I would have hoped he would have said, look, check me for this. So he goes back and more people --

WHITFIELD: Boy, so many mysterious mysteries around this. Lots of questions unanswered. Tanya Miller, Glenda Hatchett, good to see you both of you ladies. Thank you.

One of the most successful treatments for Ebola has run out. Why is it taking so long to make more? Find out right after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: The director of the CDC says there are no more doses of the Ebola drug, ZMapp. It's one of two promising treatments for that disease, but it's not been approved by the FDA. What are the options for patients right now? CNN Money's Cristina Alesci is here with more. CRISTINA ALESCI, CNN MONEY CORRESPONDENT: Well, Fredricka, as you point out, the U.S. lacks a treatment that's been thoroughly tested and vetted. So without other options doctors were forced to treat American victims with the virus with experimental drugs.

The problem there is resupply. In fact, Mapp Biopharmaceutical who makes the treatment called ZMapp says production is lengthy and requires the growth of tobacco plants under careful control of light temperature and humidity.

In fact one of the government's top researchers said it could take up to two months to develop a fresh stock. So now the question is, why doesn't the U.S. have a readily available stockpile of approved drugs to file Ebola?

Well, part of the answer could rest on sequestration. Two government agencies tasked with biodefense faced cuts in 2013. The CDC unit that fights infectious diseases lost $13 million in funding and the National Institutes of Health's budget was reduced by 5 percent.

One of NIH's top doctors, Anthony Fauci, said the cuts have hurt current efforts to fight the disease.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DR. ANTHONY FAUCI, DIRECTOR, NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ALLERGY AND INFECTIOUS DISEASES: Both in an acute and in a chronic, insidious way eroded our ability to respond in the way that I and my colleagues would like to see us be able to respond to these emerging threats.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ALESCI: The Department of Defense also funds research, in fact, one had a $291 million contract with the Department of Defense to develop an Ebola treatment. The CEO told me that the contract was cancelled and he cited budget cuts as the reason.

But the government may be trying to make up for lost time. Last month, it approved an additional $58 million for drug development and production alone -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: Cristina Alesci, thanks so much.

All right, millions of Muslims have flocked to mecca to show their dedication to Islam and some are even taking selfies? Why is that upsetting so many?

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MARTINA HINGIS, GRAND SLAM CHAMPION: Working with horses was always a part of my life. You always have to sometimes think ahead of them and I think that was also part of the reaction plan. You know? So anything happens on the court, I kind of reacted.

And it helps me to, you know, to be flexible and to be fast. When you come back from tournaments and you have the stress of the big cities and the lifestyle that's completely different, you know, the horse is just a unique relationship.

It was something that I had for myself that I didn't have to be perfect at. Because in tennis you have to put it in the white lines and you want to win the matches and you want to win trophies. Whereas on the horses I didn't have the same pressure of course. It was always a passion, that's why I wanted to keep it that way.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: As Hajj draws to a close and Muslims around the world begin to celebrate, the selfies are becoming a part of the conversation. The annual pilgrimage to Mecca is expected of anyone who practices Islam if they can make that trip.

But more people are taking selfies to mark the moment and it poses the question, does taking a selfie take away from the religious experience?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The idea of Hajj is for you to think about yourself, what you have done in life. Take account of your life. Ask for forgiveness. Taking pictures, selfies or any other, you become a tourist.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: OK. I'm sorry, Azadeh Ansari here now CNN international -- from the CNN International Desk. This is quite the phenomenon. I guess this used to be the sacred ground, but now introduce the selfie.

AZADEH ANSARI, CNN INTERNATIONAL DESK EDITOR: Rright. And Fred, this is the classic case of tradition clashing with the digital age that we live in, and the Hajj experience literally means to take a journey both in the physical and in the spiritual sense.

In the introduction to that, when the imam had said it was a time to think about yourself, we're joking, like these people are thinking about themselves. And they're not thinking about disconnecting from the material world, which is the whole purpose of this journey.

So this whole week during the pilgrimage of Hajj, this whole hash tag #hajjselfiefever, as they are calling it online has raised a lot of eyebrows and people are not happy about these smiling faces that we are seeing here.

I want to reference some of the tweets that you can see there's a verbal tit for tat that's been going on all week. The first tweet we're going to take a look at here is @classymo, using the #selfie, it's just too much. Come on people, we're supposed to go there to be in peace, not to show the world how we wear your sunglasses more or less, which we saw in that earlier picture.

And the second one opposing that, that view point, is also using the #hajjselfie, there's nothing wrong taking pics in a holy place. Everyone want to relive the moment. Wish preachers broadened their views. And that's the clerics are saying, look, you have to be in the moment. Have that mental memory.

And this is your opportunity to develop yourself spiritually. If you're clicking pictures every time you're going to every -- you know, every session that you have to do, then that kind of defeats the purpose. So back to your question, is in this digital age, is anything sacred anymore?

WHITFIELD: Yes, OK. We will find out. Clearly, at least not during this period. Not there. See what happens next time. Thank you so much, Azadeh.

All right, a new search for the missing Malaysian airliner is scheduled to begin soon, but a brother of a missing passenger isn't optimistic that they'll find anything. We'll tell you why, next.

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WHITFIELD: It's been nearly seven months since Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 vanished. A new search for the missing airplane is about to begin in the Indian Ocean. But some relatives of those on the flight are not very optimistic. Here is CNN's Paula Hancocks.

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PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Jackson never dreamt he would still be wondering where his sister is. She was a passenger on the missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370. A flight she wasn't to be on. A mother and a grandmother, Song was booked on a later flight, but agreed to swap tickets with another passenger to help them out.

MH370 with 239 people on board vanished from radar screens March 8th, on its way from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. Despite an unprecedented search in the Southern Indian Ocean where the plane is believed to have run out of fuel, not a single trace has been found.

As a new phase of the search begins, Song criticizes what he considers to be a lack of open information and investigation.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Without the investigation, the searching is no use. Not in the right area, not in the right direction. The searching is -- it's a waste of time. Waste of time.

HANCOCKS: But Australian officials in charge of the operation are cautiously optimistic the refined search area will bring results. It covers 60,000 square kilometers, roughly the size of West Virginia or Croatia. It could take up to a year and cost $48 million.

So how will it work? Three ships will be equipped with a toe fish that contains sonar and a camera to be towed about 100 meters above the ocean floor. Data will then be transmitted in realtime to the ship and on a daily basis via satellite to the shore. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How fast it goes depends essentially on the sort of terrain you're covering. That varies from quite flat lines or sloping areas to ravines and fishers and curves, which require much closer look.

HANCOCKS: Ships have spent months mapping the previously unknown ocean floor finding for magic challenges like underwater volcanoes. Some families have lost confidence in --

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How fast it goes depends essentially on the sort of terrain you're covering. That varies from quite flat plains to rivers and crevasses that require much closer work.

PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Ships have found dramatic challenges like underwater volcanoes. Some families have lost confidence in this search. Some independent experts have even cast doubt on whether this is the right spot. The teams at sea are acutely aware that previous false starts raised false hopes.

Paula Hancocks, CNN, Seoul.

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