A patient is undergoing medical tests and treatment in New York City out of concern he may have the Ebola virus, multiple reports said Monday.
The unnamed man sought care at Mount Sinai Hospital in Manhattan early Monday with fever and flu symptoms consistent with Ebola.
{mosads}He told doctors he had recently traveled to West Africa, where an outbreak of the disease has killed nearly 900 people.
If confirmed, the case would be the first brought undetected to U.S. soil since the disease re-emerged in Guinea this spring.
Ebola spreads through contact with body fluids and is lethal in almost every case.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has warned U.S. residents to avoid all unnecessary travel to Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone in order to avoid the outbreak.
Mount Sinai officials sought to tamp down concerns about public safety.
“All necessary steps are being taken to ensure the safety of all patients, visitors and staff,” the hospital said in a statement to The Associated Press.
“We will continue to work closely with federal, state and city health officials to address and monitor this case, keep the community informed and provide the best quality care to all of our patients.”
Mount Sinai said test results would be available late Monday evening or early Tuesday morning.
The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene said the man is “unlikely” to have Ebola.
“Specimens are being tested for common causes of illness and to definitively exclude Ebola,” the department said in a statement.
This story was updated at 6:53 p.m.