Kamara James, a former U.S. fencing Olympian, died suddenly in Modesto this month, USA Fencing announced.

James, a New York City native, was 29. The cause of death was not announced, but friends and former teammates noted that the Princeton graduate had battled mental illness.

James was an outstanding scholar, using near-perfect SAT scores to secure an academic scholarship to Princeton. She took a year off from college to qualify for the Olympics, and raised more than $50,000 to pay her own way there, according to USFencing.org.

She had retired from fencing after the 2004 Games.

According to friends, James had just settled down into a "stable drug regimen" to soothe her mental illness before her death.

Details of a memorial service are pending.

Our thoughts and prayers are with Olympian Kamara James's family. Kamara was both an amazing athlete and a... http://t.co/1doleudO9q

— US Fencing (@USFencing) October 14, 2014

A new medical device designed in San Diego has been used to treat an Ebola patient in Germany, company officials confirmed Wednesday.

A Ugandan doctor who contracted the Ebola virus in Sierra Leone was treated with the Aethlon Hemopurifier last week at a hospital Frankfurt, Germany.

The dialysis-like device has an antiviral and an immunotherapeutic affect, according to Aethlon Medical, Inc. CEO Jim Joyce.

It removes an infectious virus before cells and organs can be infected and eliminates the proteins viruses release to suppress the immune system.

“We know the majority of the times, the immune system loses the battle against Ebola. This device is designed to tip the balance in favor of the immune system,” Joyce told NBC 7.

The Hemopurifier may help improve the benefit of ZMapp, an anti-viral agent used to treat seven Ebola patients including survivors Dr. Kent Brantley and Nancy Writebol. It has also been used on an English nurse, a Spanish priest and two Liberian doctors who contracted Ebola. The priest and one of the doctors died despite receiving the treatment.

ZMapp was developed by Mapp Bio located in Sorrento Valley north of San Diego.

“In Ebola when you think about such massive viral load counts, it’s very clear that we’re going to need to be able to combine multiple therapies working in combination,” Joyce said.

The device can also work with dialysis and CRRT machines already in hospitals around the world.

With high-risk pathogens like Ebola, it’s not feasible to conduct clinical studies on humans. However, the company will launch a study next month that will recruit patients with the Hepatitis C virus to demonstrate the safety of the device.

That data will be used to create a model for how the device may be used on other pathogens like the deadly Ebola virus.

One of Aethlon Medical's executives traveled from the company’s headquarters in University City to Germany to be present while the device was being used.

The condition of the patient will be reported once Frankfurt University Hospital provides a formal update.

A robbery suspect, distinctive for his full facial hair, has struck another San Diego County bank, FBI officials announced.

The “Bearded Bandit” is blamed for a holdup at the Chase Bank on South Melrose Drive in Vista Wednesday morning.

The suspect used a demand note to ask for a specific amount of money — though the FBI did not say how much — and to threaten to shoot someone if they did not comply.

No weapon was spotted, but the Bearded Bandit did escape with cash, walking south through the parking lot, the FBI says.

Investigators believe this is the same man who robbed a Wells Fargo Bank on Saturn Boulevard in San Diego on Oct. 7. In that incident, the suspect also used a handwritten note, demanded case and threatened to use a handgun.

The Bearded Bandit is described as a white man between 25 to 35 years old with short brown hair that slightly recedes in the front. Surveillance cameras showed him with a full brown beard on Oct. 7, but he only had a goatee during the Oct. 15 robbery.

He stands between 5-foot-8 and 5-foot-10 and weighs between 180 and 190 pounds. During both heists, the suspect wore long-sleeved, button-down shirts and pants.

An East County community must officially open its doors to a sexually violent predator who moved in Wednesday.

Allen Fields, 58, was released from a state hospital Wednesday and relocated to a 1,200-square-foot house on Custer Road. A San Diego judge approved the move in early September. 

But for neighbors who live along the same road, there will be no housewarming party.

In the early 1980s, Fields worked as a caregiver or Boy Scout troop leader to gain access to four boys between the ages of 10 and 13, carrying out lewd acts against them over five years, according to the District Attorney.

He was convicted of fondling them, mutual masturbation, mutual oral copulation and attempted sodomy.

After serving 25 years in prison, Fields volunteered to undergo surgical castration in 2003 as he spent more than decade in sex offender treatment.

The diagnosed pedophile now lives in the three-bedroom, one-bathroom home with a locked gate and fence near the center of town.

Jock Ogles, who lives across the street, told NBC 7 he hasn't seen any lights on or activity at the house yet.

"The judge prohibited him from being out on the roads and I guess a normal amount of restrictions: he can't go anywhere unless he is accompanied, he's supposed to have 24 hour people here all the time, so we'll wait and see," he said.

Parents are concerned that Fields’ new home is one mile from a playground and 2.2 miles from Campo Elementary School.

County Supervisor Dianne Jacob called his placement one more in a disturbing trend for her community, where multiple sexually violent predators have been moved in recent years.

San Diego will have its first legal medicinal marijuana dispensary within city limits.

The San Diego Development Service Commission approved the City of San Diego’s first medical marijuana dispensary license Wednesday.

The company called A Green Alternative will be located on Roll Drive in Otay Mesa.

Dr. David Blair, a business ethics professor who teaches a course through San Diego State University, said they have done everything the city has asked.

“We’re just so thrilled, grateful and humbled by it,” Blair said of the permit approval.

Having been diagnosed with HIV and PID, Blair uses medicinal marijuana and recalls having to drive to Los Angeles to get his prescription filled legally.

He said he is dedicated to following the rules and setting an example for other marijuana dispensaries that may come to San Diego.

“We play by the rules. We always intend to play by the rules and we will only play by the rules,” Blair said.

Opponents warned the one-story commercial building where the dispensary will be located is not the right place for a pot shop.

“With it being in an area with many families that are coming to and from, that’s definitely a concern. These are not benign businesses as some have portrayed them,” Barbara Gordon told the committee.

At the end of a 10-day appeal period and background checks, the permit will be official.

The dispensary will be located at 2335 Roll Drive #4 near near Siempre Viva Road just east of State Route 905.

Blair noted that when he is teaching, he does not medicate the day before so he can be alert for his classes.

Firefighting isn’t exactly child’s play, but some tools of the trade are lending themselves for that purpose.

The city of San Diego is working with the toymakers at Mattel to create a new series of its Matchbox vehicles, using logos from the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department.

Mattel is planning to market 150,000 of the San Diego-branded miniatures of fire rigs and lifeguard vehicles over a 3-year period. The suggested retail price will be $2.99 plus tax.

"It fell in our laps, and we have a chance to show off our vehicles and our apparatus, and it's going to be a good time,” said Lee Swanson, spokesman for the fire department.

The deal is similar to one struck in 2008, when San Diego agency vehicles were used as models for a line of tiny fire engines and police department cars. That contract has since expired, but proponents say the toys created a positive exposure for the SDFD and its personnel.

While the Matchbox vehicles are targeted to kids, they are also a favorite among collectors of all ages around the world.

“We’ve heard from people across the country who say 'Hey, I bought one of your fire engines,' and so that's kind of fun,” Swanson said.

The 3-year Mattel licensing contract, with a 2-year renewal option, goes before the city council Monday for approval.

SDFD vehicles have also been featured in one of MacMillan Publishers’ “Bright Baby” books by Roger Priddy.

"Out of the woods."

Those are the words Ashoka Mukpo's parents use to describe their son's progress.

"He's doing really well, he's feeling stronger everyday, although he's still very weak," Diana Mukpo, his mother, told NECN.

His father, Dr. Mitchell Levy, said his son is not showing anymore symptoms of fever, nausea, vomiting or diarrhea.

"All of his laboratory tests are now normal," said Dr. Levy.

In fact, his parents say his appetite has even allowed him to eat a burrito.

The 33-year-old NBC News freelancer who was diagnosed with the deadly Ebola virus is still recovering in isolation at a the University of Nebraska Medical Center.

On Monday, he was finally well enough to go on Twitter and say he's "on the road to good health."

He also thanked everyone for all their "good vibes."

Mukpo was diagnosed with Ebola while working as a camera operator in Liberia while he was there to document the Ebola epidemic.

Back home in Providence, the dog he rescued from Liberia waits patiently, along with his girlfriend, who's from London. The whole family just returned from visiting him in Nebraska on Wednesday.

"Going through this experience first-hand has made him feel even more passionate about the plight of the people in Liberia," Diana Mukpo said.

Mukpo also got blood from Ebola survivor and mission worker, Dr. Kent Brantley. He can now get out of bed on his own and walk around, and may soon use a stationary bike. He must have two negative Ebola tests 24 hours apart before he's cleared to leave isolation and the hospital.

On Wednesday Mukpo sent words of encouragment to the two nurses diagnosed with the virus, tweeting: " Wishing for a speedy recovery for those two Dallas nurses. This thins is not easy but you're both going to make it. Thanks for your bravery."

Live video will appear in the player above. From time to time the signal may go black -- this is normal and the video should return soon.

Ohio county officials are set to hold a news conference on Ebola starting at 9:30 a.m. CT Thursday after a Dallas nurse flew to Cleveland before testing positive for the Ebola virus.

Health officials said they are still trying to determine how many people might have been affected while Dallas nurse Amber Joy Vinson, 29, was visiting family. Vinson then flew on Frontier Airlines Flight 1143 Monday before testing positive for the Ebola virus Wednesday.

Vinson's friend Falisha Lee told NBC's Tracy Connor via Facebook message that she's saddened by the way Vinson is being portrayed since her diagnosis.

"As a fellow nurse, I will say that I believe that she followed the precautionary processes known to her as any prudent nurse would have done," she said.

NBC 5 will update this story with more information as soon as it's available. As this story is developing, elements may change.

The San Francisco Giants took Game 4 of the National League Championship Series against the St. Louis Cardinals with a 6-4 win.

Wednesday night's win at AT&T Park gives the Giants a 3-1 series lead over the Cardinals.

Game 5 is scheduled for 5 p.m. Thursday at AT&T Park and will feature a rematch of Game 1 starters Madison Bumgarner of the Giants and Adam Wainwright of the Cardinals.

Visit NBC Bay Area's San Francisco Giants page for more coverage.

Hugs, kisses, tears and heartfelt signs marked the homecoming of a group of 20 Marines and Sailors to Camp Pendleton after a six-month deployment in Afghanistan.

The group of service members is part of the 1st Air Naval Gunfire Liaison Company and the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force (known as the 1st ANGLICO). They arrived by bus Wednesday afternoon after flying into March Air Reserve Base in Riverside.

They were greeted by emotional and ecstatic spouses, girlfriends and children.

The Marines and Sailors were overjoyed, too.

“It feels amazing. It’s been a long time, so it’s a little weird being back, but I’m really glad being back with my loved ones,” said Marine Cpl. Billy Johnson.

The small group was on a special mission as part of Operation Enduring Freedom, working with coalition forces to help pinpoint the location of air strikes. They were also a key part in closing the mission.

Johnson described the group as close-knit.

"You're not only working with fellow Marines, but also your best friends and brothers," he said. "It's a very tight-knit team."

But now the elite group is home and loved ones are overjoyed.

“It still feels kind of like a dream,” said Melissa Veihl, a Marine spouse.

The Escondido City Council denied an appeal for a proposed undocumented immigrant children shelter after hearing nearly 100 impassioned pleas from both sides Wednesday.

Seeking a full council vote, the American Civil Liberties Union was appealing the planning commission's rejection of a conditional use permit for the project.

In July, nonprofit Southwest Key proposed turning the Palomar Continuing Care Center — a now-defunct nursing home in southwest Escondido — into a 96-bed facility to house unaccompanied immigrant children while their cases go through court.

The temporary shelter would help deal with an influx of minors from Central America entering the U.S. illegally.

The planning commission refused to grant the permit needed in mid-July, citing concerns over noise, safety and the type of traffic it could cause. The ACLU filed its appeal on behalf of Southwest Key just two weeks later.

The council’s chamber was packed Wednesday night with about 250 residents, more than four times the number of people who attend the average meeting at City Hall. About 100 of those attendees signed up to lend their voice to the issue.

But first, the ACLU made its argument, saying that the shelter would bring in $8 million a year to Escondido and provide about 100 new jobs as local businesses sell goods and services to Southwest Key.

"The federal government pays all of the costs. There are no indirect costs. Children do not enroll in local schools, all medical care and all necessary services are paid for under the federal contract," said David Loy, the ACLU’s San Diego legal director.

He said there is more than enough parking at the facility and there is no evidence of noise and traffic issues, calling the concerns “red herrings.”

After Loy was questioned by the council, residents began taking the microphone, expressing opinions on both sides of the issue.

“We refuse to give in or bend to the government at any level of the body politic throughout America,” said one speaker. “If I have it my way, I will deport each and every one of them and not even bat an eye if they are babies or toddlers or old men or women.”

“We who have the means are called to be a shelter for those who need refuge,” said another resident. “We of all faiths and no faiths are called to compassion. We have the opportunity to open our hearts to children, remember children afraid, defenseless, and in danger.”

While Deputy Mayor Olga Diaz sided with the ACLU, the rest of the council agreed with the planning commission’s initial assessment: an immigrant shelter does not belong at that location.

A formal decision will soon be submitted by the council. Loy said how it's written will determine if the ACLU will file another appeal.

A dangerous fugitive who remained on the U.S. Marshal's "Most Wanted" list for 17 years is in custody and will appear in a San Diego courtroom Thursday.

Randy Mark Yager, 58, was arrested at approximately 10:15 pm at a bar in Rosarito, Baja California, Mexico.

He was transferred to the U.S. through the San Ysidro Port of Entry and will appear for a hearing in the federal courthouse downtown.

Members of the Baja California State Police Liaison Group assisted in the arrest of Yager, who was wanted on charges including murder, firearms and explosives violations, arson, and narcotics trafficking.

The warrant for his arrest was issued on June 2, 1997.

Yager was former president of the Wisconsin, Illinois and Indiana area “Outlaws” Motorcycle Gang and managed to elude capture for 17 years. 

A San Diego State University student has been diagnosed with meningitis, a school official confirmed Wednesday.

SDSU Chief Communications Officer Greg Block said the school is in the process of notifying people who have been in contact with the student.

It's unclear what kind of meningitis with which the patient fell ill.

Check back here for details on this developing story.

A Dallas nurse who cared for a co-worker who contracted the Ebola virus at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital said the facility was unprepared to fight the disease and she would “do anything” to avoid being treated there if she were ever to fall ill with the potentially deadly virus.

“I can no longer defend my hospital,” Briana Aguirre said Thursday on NBC's “Today" show.

Aguirre claims that before Thomas Eric Duncan arrived at Texas Health Presbyterian nursing staff had not been trained in how to treat an Ebola patient beyond being offered an “optional seminar.”

“We never talked about Ebola and we probably should have,” Aguirre said, adding that staff was “never told what to look for.”

Aguirre did not treat Duncan, who died on Oct. 8. But she said that co-workers told her that he was put in an area with up to seven other patients and it took three hours before the hospital first contacted the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. She called the situation a "chaotic scene."

"Our infectious disease department was contacted to ask, what is our protocol. And their answer was, we don’t know. We’re going to have to call you back,” she said.

She questioned why even two weeks into the Ebola crisis in Dallas protective clothing staff used still left parts of her neck uncovered.

She said that the hospital should have called in more help early on and “should have known that it was getting out of hand.”

“I watched them violate basic principles of nursing care, of medical care,” she said.

Criticism of the hospital has intensified since nurses Nina Pham and Amber Joy Vinson tested positive for the virus after caring for Duncan.  Pham is said to be in good condition at Texas Presbyterian Hospital and Vinson was transported Wednesday to Emory University Hospital in Atlanta for treatment.

Earlier this week, a national nurse’s union detailed similar claims to Aguirre's of a lack of preparation and protocols in place at Texas Presbyterian Hospital to confront Ebola.

Texas Health Presbyterian referred NBC to a detailed statement it issued early Thursday in response to claims by the nurse’s group.

The hospital said that it had followed CDC recommendations at the time for appropriate protective equipment, "sought additional guidance and clarity" then followed updated CDC guidelines.

“When the CDC recommended that nurses wear isolation suits, the nurses raised questions and concerns about the fact that the skin on their neck was exposed,” the statement said. “The CDC recommended that they pinch and tape the necks of the gown. Because our nurses continued to be concerned, particularly about removing the tape, we ordered hoods.”

The statement also said that Duncan, the first person diagnosed with Ebola in the United States, was "moved directly to a private room and placed in isolation" after he returned to the hospital in an ambulance. The hospital said it went "above and beyond CDC recommendations" for handling hazardous waste. 

Meanwhile, the hospital’s chief clinical officer Dr. Daniel Varga is set to testify before a House hearing later Thursday.

In prepared testimony, Varga apologized for having misdiagnosed Duncan during his first visit. But Varga planned to say that doctors and nurses followed guidelines.

"The hospital followed all CDC and Texas Department of Health Services recommendations in an effort to ensure the safety of all patients, hospital staff, volunteers, nurses, physicians and visitors," Varga said in the prepared testimony.

Aguirre, asked whether she would seek treatment at her own hospital should she contract Ebola, told "Today" she feared she would still be at risk. She said she “would do anything to refuse to go there.”

Aguirre, who provided care for Pham, noted that Texas Health Presbyterian had been considered a “premiere” facility.

“I just don’t think that any facility in this country is prepared,” she said.

A mama bear and her cub created quite a scene in Pasadena on Thursday, starting off in a dumpster in a business area, then giving neighbors in their homes quite a show.

A mama bear and her cub took over the Taylors backyard on Rim Road.

"Now she's sitting in front of my son's clubhouse," said homeowner Candi Taylor.

Said Hugh Taylor: "You don't fool around with mama bears and their cubs. Ha!"

Their journey began in this area full of businesses, a mama bear keeping a close eye on her cub, stuck in a Dumpster.

"Mothers will bring their cubs to an area where there is a decent amount of food, decent amount of water and there's no threat," said J.C. Healy, a game warden for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.

Game wardens know busy Rosemead Boulevard in Pasadena is not a place for an agitated mother and her baby. With no tranquilizers, they find a way to spook Mom.

"I hit her with a bean bag round. It packs quite a bit of a punch," Healy said.

That allows another warden to coax baby out. He jumps and quickly searches for mama.

Reunited, they climb up a tree and back down then make their way presumably back to their home in the foothills.

Another homeowner, Rolando Iglesias, was walking behind the pool when, "we saw him take a drink and he just left."

At Rolando Iglesias' father's home a few blocks away, the bears broke a fence as they fled down a small ravine.

Hugh Taylor said he has never seen any bears.

"Had every other animal, but not a bear," he said.

Said Rolando Iglesias: "This is the first time we have ever seen one here, lived here for 30 years."

And while not a regular sight for neighbors the fact is bears in these parts are common.

"Cost to doing business here," Healy said.

Food and water are always a necessity.

"A lot of people focused on the drought," Healy said. "Believe it or not, our call load this year has been a lot lower than normally."

Bear sightings are not unusual in the San Gabriel Valley foothill communities northeast of downtown Los Angeles. The bears often visit neighborhoods on trash day in search of an easy snack.

California's black bear population is at about 25,000 to 30,000, with most living in mountain areas above 3,000 feet, according to what the state's Fish and Wildlife department calls conservative estimates. In 1982, the statewide bear population was estimated at between 10,000 and 15,000.

Less than 10 percent of the state's black bear population lives in the central western and southwestern California region, according to agency estimates. About half of the population resides in an area north and west of the Sierra Nevada Mountains.

A man was arrested Wednesday after admitting he robbed a Carl’s Jr. fast-food restaurant in Oceanside with a BB gun.

Christian Perez, 21, was found hiding in some nearby bushes after police got calls of an armed robbery around 3:30 p.m. at the restaurant on 4186 Oceanside Blvd. They found a gun in the area, which was determined to be a BB gun.

During an interview, detectives say Perez admitted to committing the robbery, along with four others. He was booked into the Vista Detention Facility on five counts of armed robbery.

Police arrested a man in Pacific Beach early this morning after he led them on a high-speed chase that reached 100 mph.

The vehicle chase ended around 12:30 a.m. on Del Rey Street, but the man then fled on foot.

Police found him hiding on a roof on Diamond Street.

The fiancee of Dallas Ebola patient Thomas Eric Duncan said Thursday that she received a personal apology from Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital in Dallas.

"I am grateful to the hospital for this personal call. I am grateful to God that this leader reached out and took responsibility for the hospital's actions," Louise Troh said in a statement. "Hearing this information will help me as I mourn Eric's death."

Ducan died at the hospital Oct. 8, two weeks after being diagnosed with Ebola and three weeks after it's believed he contracted the disease on Sept. 15. Duncan came to Texas from Liberia to visit his fiancee and other family on Sept. 20 and started showing symptoms of the potentially deadly disease on Sept. 24.

After two trips to the emergency room at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital in Dallas, on Sept. 25 and Sept. 28, Duncan is finally diagnosed with Ebola on Sept. 30.

Troh said she received a phone call Thursday morning from an executive with Presbyterian Hospital who apologized for Duncan's death.

"The purpose of this call was to apologize to me for the death of my fiancee, Thomas Eric Duncan, and to express regret that the hospital was not able to save his life. This official said the hospital was 'deeply sorry' for the way this tragedy played out," Troh said in the statement.

Troh went on in her statement to say that God will judge others and their actions and that vengeance is not hers to demand.

Troh, her 13-year-old child and her two nephews all continue to be monitored for symptoms of Ebola at an isolated, undisclosed location in Dallas. Their 21-day screening period expires Sunday; at this time none are presenting any symptoms of the disease.

Dallas County Commissioners tabled plans to declare a disaster over the Ebola virus at a Thursday meeting, deciding to restrict the travel of health care workers exposed to the virus without it.

Commissioners had been expected to make the declaration Thursday, but went into a closed-door session at the start of an emergency meeting. Afterward, the commissioners returned and said they believed a disaster declaration would ultimately hurt Dallas more than it would help.

"A declaration, in and of itself, would not accomplish what we think it would.   With what's happening locally, we need to move cautiously with a declaration.  It may be premature," County Commissioner John Wiley Price said.

Several county health officials had reservations about shelving the disaster declaration and urged the council to assure the deadly virus could be contained without the use of such an order. Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins said if the disaster declaration is eventually needed, it will be implemented.

"A new declaration would not aid me in what I need to do (to make community safe); we need to save that tool (the declaration) in our toolbox maybe for another time," Jenkins said.

Dallas County Commissioner Mike Cantrell first asked about the declaration, thinking it could cover the county's expenses in fighting the virus, now estimated at more than $1 million. Jenkins said the fight had not yet become a financial burden for the county and that state and federal dollars will help cover the costs.

Jenkins said the Dallas Emergency Operations Center will remain open without the declaration.

County Wants to Issue Control Order to Restrict Travel

Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins said Wednesday that Dallas County Medical Director Dr. Christopher Perkins will sign a control order that will follow the minimum guidelines outlined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, blocking those being monitored for Ebola symptoms from using public transportation, including buses and airliners.

It comes after revelations Wednesday that the third Dallas Ebola patient, Amber Vinson, a nurse at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital, returned from a trip to Ohio with a slight fever after caring for Duncan, who died at the hospital last week.

On Thursday, the CDC said they have interviewed 105 of the 132 passengers who flew from Cleveland to Dallas with Vinson on Frontier Airlines Flight 1143 Monday evening and that a few of the passengers who sat near her were going to be self-monitoring for symptoms.

Vinson was transferred Wednesday evening to Emory University Hospital in Atlanta where other Ebola patients have been successfully treated.

She and Ebola patient Nina Pham, another nurse at Presbyterian Hospital, contracted the disease through some breach in illness protection at the hospital, according to hospital officials and investigators with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

News of Pham's infection came Sunday, and she remains in isolation while receiving treatment at Presbyterian Hospital.  She is to be transferred to the National Institutes for Health in Maryland Thursday night.

A total of 87 hospital workers may have had contact with Duncan, county health officials said Thursday — a number that is 10 higher than the previous count. CDC officials have acknowledged they could have provided more support at Presbyterian Hospital when Duncan's Ebola case was first revealed in late September and that a more "robust" response could have prevented the nurse's infections.

Jenkins, who is overseeing the Ebola response in Dallas County, said neither Presbyterian Hospital nor the CDC instructed the workers to stay away from the public during the 21-day monitoring period for symptoms.

"No one told them, which is something that is profoundly disappointing to me, but this is something that we've got to fix quickly," Jenkins said. "We cannot have people on common carriers like DART trains, airplanes or buses who might get sick."

The control order would give the county legal authority to restrict the movement of those being monitored for the potentially deadly virus.

"If an order is in place I expect it to be followed and we'd use the law to enforce it, but that won't be necessary. These are heroic health care professionals who just need some guidance on what they can and can't do in a very difficult time in their life," Jenkins said.

Jenkins said he'll work with state officials to make sure the order can be enforced outside of Dallas County and that public venues may be included in the restriction.

U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings, Texas Health Commissioner Dr. David Lakey and Jenkins all met Wednesday afternoon at Jenkins' office to discuss the situation.

Cornyn said he was visiting to learn firsthand about the problems Dallas is facing and offer support.

"I don't know if we've ever had anything like this happen before," Cornyn said. "One of the points the mayor and the judge said is the CDC is a world-class expert in terms of offering advice, but what you need is somebody who can operationally make things happen. And maybe we need a public health special operations force."

Rawlings was more blunt about the current life-or-death situation.

"Hey, look everybody, it's one team. And this team is not doing as well. The county, me as mayor, the Presbyterian, the CDC, the state, come on. We've got to do better than that," Rawlings said.

NBC News' Kate Snow contributed to this report.