A pediatric patient in New York City is being tested for Ebola at Bellevue Hospital, the New York City Health Department said.
According to CBS, the patient is a 5-year-old boy and his family had recently traveled from Guinea, a country in West Africa. This location was one of the three countries affected by Ebola in the past 21 days.
The boy was taken to Bellevue hospital Sunday night after reporting that he had a fever.
Officials said the child did not have a fever when they first examined him, but later developed one at around 7 am. The hospital spoke with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and then the Health Department did a test on the boy for Ebola.
The results on the test are expected within 12 hours. Health officials are looking for other symptoms and causes for his illness. The Health Department released this statement:
“As a further precaution, the Health Department’s team of disease detectives has begun to actively trace all of the patient’s contacts to idetnify anyone who may be at potential risk. The Health Depratment staff has established protocols to identify, notify, and if necessary, quarantine any contacts of Ebola cases.”
Officials want to reassure people that Ebola can only spread through direct contact with an infected patient’s bodily fluids, and that the chances of an average New Yorker getting Ebola are “extremely slim.”