UPDATE (8:45 p.m. ET): The doctor, Craig Spencer, tested positive for Ebola and is New York City's first diagnosed case.
According to the New York Times, Spencer felt "sluggish" on Tuesday, but did not develop a fever until Thursday. He took the subway from Manhattan to Brooklyn on Wednesday night, went to a bowling alley and took a cab to his apartment on 147th Street. The apartment has been sealed off.
Spencer works at New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center where he is a fellow of international emergency medicine. He is also an instructor in clinical medicine at Columbia University.
EARLIER: A doctor who recently returned from Guinea where he had been treating Ebola patients was rushed to the hospital on Thursday afternoon for Ebola-like symptoms.
The man, who is in his mid-30s and a physician for Doctors Without Borders, was taken to Bellevue hospital, reportedly with a 103 degree fever and nausea.
CBS New York reports:
The EMS crews responded [sic] to his home wore "F Suits," which are Level D Hazmat gear that covers the entire body, CBS 2 reported.
Sources told 1010 WINS he was rushed from a building on West 147th Street.
"After consulting with the hospital and the CDC, DOHMH [New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene] has decided to conduct a test for the Ebola virus because of this patient's recent travel history, pattern of symptoms and past work. DOHMH and HHC are also evaluating the patient for other causes of illness, as these symptoms can also be consistent with salmonella, malaria, or the stomach flu.
In a statement the DOHMH said: "As a further precaution, beginning today, the Health Department's team of disease detectives immediately began to actively trace all of the patient's contacts to identify anyone who may be at potential risk. The Health Department staff has established protocols to identify, notify, and, if necessary, quarantine any contacts of Ebola cases.
Bellevue Hospital is one of eight New York City hospitals equipped to handle Ebola. Preliminary test results should be available within 12 hours.
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