The doctor is a citizen of Sierra Leone but also is a permanent US resident, according to the federal government source.
The surgeon will be treated at the Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha. The source spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to release the information.
The doctor will be the third Ebola patient at the Omaha hospital and the 10th Ebola patient in the US.
A spokesperson at Nebraska Medical Center would not confirm Thursday if another patient was expected.
The last Ebola patient in the US was released from a New York City hospital on Tuesday.