Every mother's worst fear about Ebola has come to life. A 5-year-old boy has been quarantined in New York City for showing chronic symptoms of being infected with the potentially deadly illness. According to ABC, the boy who arrived from Guinea is currently in isolation at Bellevue Hospital. Family members rushed the young boy to a hospital in the Bronx after he had been vomiting and had a high fever. His family is currently being quarantined in their Bronx apartment. This Ebola madness is growing scarier by the day!
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The New York City Health and Hospitals released a statement confirming:
The patient developed a fever while at the hospital at approximately 7:00 a.m. this morning. After consulting with the hospital and CDC, [The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene] DOHMH decided to conduct a test for the Ebola virus, because of this patient's recent travel history and pattern of symptoms. DOHMH and HHS are also evaluating the patient for other causes of illness in children.
They are running tests for the disease and are expected to get confirmation within the next 12 hours. The CDC has previously confirmed that Ebola is not airborne and could only be contracted with exchange of bodily fluids. The virus has killed nearly 5,000 children and adults in West Africa so far while four people have been confirmed with the virus in the U.S.
Ebola is still extremely rare and difficult to contract, but I think travel guidelines or airport security should be bumped for people traveling to and from West Africa. Otherwise, the spread will continue until a vaccine is created for Ebola.
This poor boy must be so scared and nervous. I can't imagine how his mother must be feeling right about now. There is still a chance that he doesn't have the disease. We are keeping our fingers crossed and hope this is the only case of a child possibly infected with Ebola.
Image via Corbis
