NYC Patient Being Tested For Ebola

A patient admitted to New York City's Mount Sinai hospital is being tested for Ebola after returning from West Africa with "high fever and gastrointestinal symptoms," according to a report by ABC-7.

ABC-7 reports that the patient is "in strict isolation."

A Mount Sinai spokesperson declined to provide additional information on the case, but said a statement would be sent out shortly. We will update this post as soon as we hear back.

This image, reportedly a screenshot of a Mount Sinai statement on the situation, was circulating Twitter but has not yet been confirmed:

BREAKING: Internal Mount Sinai email confirms patient being tested for Ebola: pic.twitter.com/fNWuhOuqbO

- Neetzan Zimmerman (@neetzan) August 4, 2014

The patient may well test negative. Even if he tests positive for Ebola, Mount Sinai is fully equipped to contain the virus. A widespread Ebola outbreak in the United States is "not in the cards," the CDC director recently told reporters.

The current outbreak - centered in the West African countries of Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Guinea - has infected more than 1,600 and led to an estimated 887 deaths. Symptoms include fever, vomiting, diarrhea, and often profuse bleeding.

This story is in progress.