Patient Being Tested for Ebola in New York After Travel to West Africa

Local New York City media are reporting that a man who had recently traveled to West Africa is currently undergoing testing for the Ebola virus at Mount Sinai Hospital, after arriving at the hospital with a high fever.

According to local ABC Affiliate WABC7, a male patient with a high fever and what is being described as “gastrointestinal symptoms” arrived to the hospital’s emergency room on Monday and has since been quarantined after medical personnel discovered he had recently been in West Africa. In a statement, Mount Sinai Hospital assured New Yorkers that the hospital is implementing all precautions possible to ensure that the patient does not, should he be diagnosed with Ebola, spread the virus. 

“All necessary steps are being taken to ensure the safety of all patients, visitors and staff,” the hospital’s statement reads, “We will continue to work closely with federal, state and city health officials to address and monitor this case, keep the community informed and provide the best quality care to all of our patients.”

No further information has surfaced on the patient or his identity, though the news comes at a time in which fears that Ebola might become a serious problem in the United States and other regions outside of West Africa have increased significantly. There are currently two known American citizens infected with Ebola, both Christian medical aid workers that made contact with the virus in Liberia. 

Last week, Dr. Kent Brantley arrived in the United States from Liberia, becoming the first person to ever have Ebola on U.S. soil. Dr. Brantley, who refused a dose of experimental medication in Liberia so that Nancy Writebol, the other American infected with Ebola, could take it, has since received a dose himself in the United States and appears to be improving. Writebol is expected to arrive in the United States on Tuesday.