An individual who recently returned from West Africa gave people in Birmingham, AL a scare as emergency rescue crews were dispatched to the home because the individual had a fever.

Alabama/National Atlas of the United States
Alabama/National Atlas of the United States

The patient was admitted to University of Alabama-Birmingham Hospital Tuesday night, and eight others quarantined or monitored after coming into contact with that patient.

Good news is according to the Alabama Department of Public Health, the patient tested negative for Ebola virus as results came back Wednesday morning.

Staff had been monitoring this individual since arrival from a country with widespread Ebola. ADPH has not recommended that anyone be quarantined.

The individual under evaluation has no known exposures to Ebola and has been assessed to be at low, but not zero, risk of Ebola. The patient is improving and has evidence of an illness other than Ebola that can account for symptoms.

The other illness has been identified as malaria, according to Battalion Chief CW Mardis with Birmingham Fire Rescue. 

An average of 8 individuals are monitored for Ebola each month; 109 people have completed 21-day monitoring for Ebola, and 4 are currently being tracked in Alabama.

LISTEN: Ebola Q & A with infectious disease experts Smith and Racaniello

 

While this person is no longer currently under investigation for Ebola, public health will continue to monitor until the 21-day period is over.

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