Despite being “considered low risk for Ebola,” an airline passenger arriving in Atlanta from West Africa on Tuesday afternoon was transported to Emory University Hospital for evaluation.
The only symptom the passenger reported was “having diarrhea in recent days,” officials said.
Nancy Nydam, spokeswoman for the Georgia Department of Health, told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that the passenger was not likely at risk of having the deadly Ebola virus, which has killed thousands in several West African countries, but was being evaluated “out of an abundance of caution.” Kathryn Harben, a spokewoman for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said the traveler reported having had recent intestinal issues when he arrived at Hartsfield-Jackson Internation Airport.
The passenger, who was identified only as a male, “does not have other risk factors for Ebola virus disease,” Harben said. He does not work in the medical field.
“Because of the travel history and report of symptoms,” Harben said, “the person has been transported to a local medical facility for evaluation.”
Nydam said she wasn’t sure what time the passenger arrived at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, but that she was notified of the development around 4:30 p.m. It was unclear what West African country the passenger traveled from.
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