American possibly exposed to Ebola being transferred to Atlanta hospital

[December 04, 2014]  NEW YORK (Reuters) - A U.S. healthcare worker who had been in West Africa and may have been exposed to the Ebola virus is being transferred to Emory University Hospital in Atlanta, a hospital spokeswoman said on Wednesday.

The patient will be monitored and observed for signs of infection. The hospital said it did not have a time of arrival and was unable to share more details "out of respect for patient privacy and in accordance with the patient's wishes." It did not say where the patient is currently located or when he or she returned to the United States.

The announcement comes one day after U.S. health officials designated 35 hospitals nationwide, including Emory, as Ebola treatment centers.

Emory treated the first two Americans who contracted Ebola while working in West Africa, which is suffering the worst Ebola outbreak ever recorded with 17,111 confirmed, suspected or probable cases in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone and 6,055 deaths, according to the World Health Organization.

(Reporting by Sharon Begley; Editing by Chris Reese)

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