D.C. Hospital Testing Patient with Ebola-Like Symptoms

Howard University Hospital in Washington, D.C., confirmed Friday to WRC-TV that it was treating a patient who was exhibiting Ebola-like symptoms and had recently traveled from West Africa.

Howard University Hospital confirmed it was testing and treating a person with Ebola-like symptoms. (Image source: Josh/Flickr)

"In an abundance of caution, we have activated the appropriate infection control protocols, including isolating the patient," Kerry-Ann Hamilton, the hospital's spokeswoman, said in a statement, according to WRC. "Our medical team continues to evaluate and monitor progress in close collaboration with the [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] and the Department of Health."

According to the Washington Post, the unidentified patient was in Nigeria before traveling to the U.S.

The patient is still undergoing testing.

Over the last few months, there have been many reported cases of patients in the U.S. being tested for Ebola-like symptoms, but most results have come back negative for the disease that's ravaging several West African countries. Just this week, a patient was being evaluated in Honolulu for the virus, but it was later determined that the symptoms were not consistent with what is seen in Ebola virus disease, which is transmitted through direct contact with bodily fluids.

On Friday, Cobb County Jail in Georgia said it was not accepting new inmates after one of its charges developed a fever and said he had recently traveled to Africa, WSB-TV reported. The man, now being tested for Ebola, was arrested on Thursday for a DUI, according to the news station, but there were no further details regarding his condition at the time of this posting.

Earlier this week, health officials in Dallas confirmed the first Ebola patient to be diagnosed in the U.S. with the disease. The patient traveled from Liberia to Texas before he exhibited any symptoms. On Thursday, Liberian officials said they would be prosecuting this man for lying on his exit travel documents, which asked if he had cared for the sick while in the country.

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