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Remains of suspected Ebola case test negative

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Stop Ebola from Shutterstock
Stop Ebola from Shutterstock


An Ebola test on the body of a person who died of an apparent heart attack came back negative for the virus, New York City health officials said.

The deceased, who was not identified, had recently come to the United States from West Africa, the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene said in a statement.

Read:
Signs and symptoms of Ebola

The person had been in one of the countries hardest hit by the outbreak just 18 days earlier, the statement said.

"Before death, this individual showed no symptoms of Ebola. However, due to travel history within the 21-day incubation period and an abundance of caution, an Ebola test will be performed on this individual's remains," the department said.

Tested negative

On Wednesday, the test came back negative, department spokesman Levi Fishman told Reuters.

Fishman declined to provide any information about the person, including gender, location and time of death.

Read: Worst ever outbreak of Ebola

The New York Times reported that the individual was a woman and that she was pronounced dead on 18 November at a Brooklyn hair salon at around 2:30 p.m. EST.

Last Tuesday, Dr. Craig Spencer, who worked with Ebola patients in Guinea, was discharged from a New York City hospital after recovering from Ebola following his 23 October diagnosis.

Transmission only through bodily fluids

Medical experts say Ebola can be transmitted only through the bodily fluids of a sick person with symptoms.

Read: Ebola and other haemorrhagic diseases

The World Health Organisation said on Friday that the Ebola outbreak, which is the deadliest on record, has resulted in 5 177 deaths out of 14 413 cases, mostly in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea.

Read More:

Could Ebola hit SA?
Pressure on to develop treatment for Ebola
Is it Ebola or is it flu?

Image: Ebola text written with blood on a white paper from Shutterstock.

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