Ebola Virus Infection Feared As Two Patients In NY Emergency Care Suspected Of Exposure: Symptoms You Should Know

Emergency personnel in hazmat suits transported two patients from a Manhattan urgent care centre to hospital on Sunday over a suspected Ebola exposure, which was later confirmed to be a false alarm.

According to law enforcement sources, first responders in protective suits removed the patients from a CityMD clinic at the intersection of East 125th Street and Lexington Avenue. Officials later stated that norovirus, not Ebola, was the likely cause.

Ebola Concerns Dismissed

Authorities initially feared Ebola as the patients may have had contact with someone who had recently travelled from Uganda and exhibited symptoms consistent with the virus. However, no tests confirmed its presence. Sources also clarified that early emergency alerts mistakenly suggested the patients themselves had travelled directly.

Sources indicated that the rapid spread of the illness among family members suggested norovirus as a more likely cause. ‘Neither patient had exposure to Ebola or other factors that would indicate risk,’ Interim Commissioner of Health at the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene Dr. Michelle Morse wrote on X.

Morse added that one of the patients was taken to Bellevue Hospital for standard testing and care. The NYC Health Department is maintaining close contact with the FDNY, CityMD, and NYC Health + Hospitals. The CityMD was open and operating normally on Sunday, 16th February.

Ebola’s Warning Signs: A Guide to Early Detection

Although Ebola was ruled out in this instance, it’s vital to be familiar with the disease’s symptoms for prompt diagnosis and treatment should a case arise. Ebola, transmitted through contact with the bodily fluids of an infected individual or contaminated objects, presents as a severe hemorrhagic fever.

The CDC notes that Ebola’s symptoms can resemble those of other, more prevalent infectious diseases, including malaria, typhoid fever, meningococcemia, and various bacterial infections.

Early Stage Of The Disease

Ebola often begins with a sudden fever, with symptoms typically appearing 8 to 10 days after exposure. The initial signs can be vague, possibly including a high temperature or feeling feverish, chills, muscle aches, and tiredness. These are often referred to as ‘dry’ symptoms.

Mid-To-Late Stage Of The Disease

Patients may develop gastrointestinal issues four to five days after symptoms first appear, sometimes called ‘wet’ symptoms. These can include severe watery diarrhoea, nausea, vomiting, and stomach pain.

Other symptoms, such as chest pain, difficulty breathing, headache, or disorientation, may also emerge. Patients frequently experience eye irritation and redness. Hiccups have also been noted. Seizures are possible, and cerebral edema has been documented.

Bleeding doesn’t always occur. However, it can appear later in the illness as small spots on the skin (petechiae), bruising (ecchymosis), oozing at injection sites, bleeding from mucous membranes, or blood in the stool or vomit. Overall, unexplained bleeding is observed in about 40% of patients.

Between days 5 and 7, patients might develop a combination of flat and raised red skin lesions, typically affecting the neck, torso, and arms. These lesions can then peel or flake. Pregnant women may experience spontaneous miscarriages.

The 2014-2016 West Africa Outbreak

During the 2014–2016 West Africa outbreak, the most frequently reported signs and symptoms included fever (87%), tiredness (76%), vomiting (68%), diarrhoea (66%), and loss of appetite (65%).

In fatal cases, patients typically exhibit more severe symptoms early in the infection and succumb to complications—such as multi-organ failure and septic shock—between days 6 and 16 (with an average of 7.5 days from symptom onset to death during the 2014-2016 West Africa outbreak).

In non-fatal cases, patients may experience fever for several days before improving, often around day 6. Survivors may experience a lengthy recovery period.