NYC hospital testing patient for Ebola

By Jamie Schram and Danika Fears
August 4, 2014 | 4:05pm
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A Manhattan hospital patient with high fever and gastrointestinal symptoms is being tested for the Ebola virus, officials said Monday.

The male Mount Sinai patient recently traveled to an Ebola afflicted West African country. The patient has been placed in “strict isolation” and is undergoing tests to figure out the cause of his symptoms.

“All necessary steps are being taken to ensure the safety of all patients, visitors and staff. 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,” the hospital wrote in a statement.

Symptoms of the deadly disease include fever, red eyes, severe diarrhea, vomiting and internal bleeding, according to the World Health Organization. The virus spreads from the bodily fluids of an infected person.

Experts had said that an Ebola outbreak in New York or the US was very unlikely, but the feds were still looking out for possibly infected travelers at international airports.

So far, three nations have borne the brunt of the outbreak: Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea.

On Monday, Nigerian authorities said they have confirmed a second case of Ebola — a doctor in Lagos who treated a Liberian victim of the disease.

The Ebola outbreak death toll has reached a staggering 887, according to the World Health Organization. Over 1,600 people have been infected with the disease since it emerged in Guinea earlier this year.

http://nypost.com/2014/08/04/nyc-hos...ent-for-ebola/