The family of the Dallas patient who was released from a hospital with the Ebola virus is being ordered by the state to stay inside their home, and away from any visitors, for two weeks.

The Dallas Morning News reported that Thomas Eric Duncan, the first Ebola patient in the U.S., and a Liberian native who had recently been to that country, was ordered to stay in his northeastern Dallas home as of Wednesday night.

As many as 80 other individuals, including children, may have been in contact with Duncan, but of those, only about 15 are being monitored.

"If you go to a restaurant and people got sick and there were 50 people who were there, we'd have to interview all 50," Dallas County Health and Human Services Director Zach Thompson said. "It doesn't mean anyone else got sick. If two got sick, we'd have to contact the other 48. In this case there's possible contact with the family members. But no one has any symptoms."

Duncan first went to the hospital on Sept. 25 with fever and abdominal pain, but, showing no signs of the virus, was sent home, RT.com reported. He returned by ambulance two days later and was kept in isolation based on his recent travel to Liberia, but was later released, again showing no signs of the virus.

Duncan and his family are not allowed to be in touch with anyone until Oct. 19 without approval by state health officials.

"We have tried and true protocols to protect the public and stop the spread of this disease," Dr. David Lakey, Texas health commissioner, told Reuters. "This order gives us the ability to monitor the situation in the most meticulous way."

The virus has killed more than 3,300 people in West African countries including Sierra Leone, Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria and Senegal. In addition, a separate case of an outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo has claimed 42 lives.

Although efforts to help control the virus, such as quarantines and lockdowns, have been in effect in the countries, the virus continues to spread in countries where extreme heat exists.

Ebola is transferred through bodily fluids, such as sweat, saliva and blood, and due to the constant heat, sweat poses a constant danger between family and friends who often hold hands, hug or exchange any kind of physical contact.