Possible Ebola Case Investigated In Denver

Denver Health officials have taken all precautions, isolating and testing an individual potentially infected with the Ebola virus in the city.

Fortunately, the man has been cleared with the tests coming back negative for the potentially fatal disease.

Ebola Scare In Denver

According to CBS4, health officials announced the potential Ebola virus case on Sunday, July 29.

The male patient, currently in isolation, traveled to the country of Congo and returned to the United States a few days ago. He fell very sick on Sunday morning and was brought to the hospital.

Regardless of the unlikelihood, the hospital and the state experts have covered the bases for the Ebola virus, especially since Congo was hit with an outbreak of the disease earlier in 2018. Emergency responders donning what appeared to be hazmat suits were spotted in Denver Health in the afternoon of Sunday.

No Ebola, Testing Confirms

On late Sunday night, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment confirmed that the tests came back negative for Ebola, Denver Post reveals.

While all the precautions were taken and Ebola has been considered as one of the possible illnesses, officials also spoke out and stated that it's unlikely, as the region the patient visited in Congo has been free of Ebola cases in over 45 days.

"The symptoms can mimic a lot of common illnesses ... anything from the flu to appendicitis," Connie Price, an infectious diseases physician and Chief Medical Officer of Denver Health, says in CBS4. "From an initial review of the situation and the symptoms presented by the patient, it is unlikely that this will be confirmed as an Ebola case."

About The Ebola Virus

CDC reports that the potentially deadly Ebola virus disease can infect people and non-human primates, often transmitted through direct contact with an infected animal or a sick or dead person with the virus. The viruses causing the disease are found primarily in sub-Saharan Africa.

Symptoms include fever, severe headache, muscle pain, fatigue, weakness, diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and even unexplained hemorrhage. It's quite tricky to diagnose because it shares many symptoms with other diseases including influenza and malaria.

Unfortunately, there is no proven or approved treatment for Ebola.

New Ebola Species Discovered

The possible Denver case of the Ebola comes just as scientists have discovered a new species of the virus in bats in Sierra Leone. According to Science News, researchers found this latest strain while sampling bats in Bombali.

Pathologist Tracey Goldstein explains that while the Bombali strain can infect human cells, it's not certain that it could actually cause sickness in people.