RICHMOND, Va. -- A patient who visited Richmond from West Africa and was later tested for Ebola does not have the virus, Richmond City Health District Director Dr. Donald Stern confirmed Tuesday. While the Ebola virus test came back negative, the results were sent to the Centers for Disease Control for final confirmation.
The patient was placed in isolation after arriving at Crossover Healthcare Ministry on Monday with a low-grade fever.
"Following conversations with the Virginia Department of Health State Epidemiologist, and the CDC, it was determined that the patient did not satisfy all the clinical criteria for Ebola, yet due to the patient’s travel history and low-grade fever, it was determined reasonable to recommend further evaluation," Dr. Stern said. "The patient was seen at a local emergency department and admitted to the hospital. Clinical work-up included Ebola testing that was approved by the CDC"
Prior to testing, officials at the health ministry said they "don’t believe it’s Ebola," but isolated the patient and took necessary precautions.
"The patient was referred to a local hospital for laboratory evaluation," Stern said Monday. "The patient did not meet the CDC’s criteria for Ebola, but does meet optional criteria, so we thought it be reasonable to do additional testing."
