A passenger arriving at Newark Airport from West Africa was sent to a hospital to be evaluated for possible symptoms of Ebola.
The passenger, a Liberian national, headed to the Newark Liberty International Airport at United flight 998 on Tuesday. Before this flight, the man traveled from Liberia to Brussels.
With his recent travel destinations, he was called from the passengers' line when he landed the Newark Airport to have a health screening. Officers discovered that he has a fever and he was taken by an ambulance to University Hospital in Newark, New Jersey for further evaluation.
Vomiting, muscle pains, fever, vomiting and unexplained bleeding are some symptoms of Ebola.
The patient remained isolated to prevent being a risk to anyone.
The incident happened the same day that United States announced that it is setting tougher restrictions on passengers traveling from areas affected by Ebola. In this new protocol, passengers will be allowed to enter in only five airports including JFK and Newark.
"During the enhanced screening process for individuals arriving to the United States from Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Guinea, an individual was identified as reporting symptoms or having a potential exposure to Ebola," CDC stated Tuesday night.
Carol Crawford, CDC Spokesperson that they and the local health officials will contact other passengers of the same flight should it be verified that there was a risk of Ebola. The virus can only be transferred through direct contact with bodily fluids of someone who is actively suffering from it.
There have been three cases of Ebola diagnosed in United States to date. Two among them were health workers who got the virus in United States while treating Thomas Duncan who died positive with Ebola.
