Howard University hospital in Washington, D.C., confirmed Friday that it has admitted a patient -- a recent traveler to Nigeria -- who has symptoms that could be associated with Ebola.
The unidentified patient is listed in stable condition, according to Kerry-Ann Hamilton, a spokesperson for the hospital.
"In an abundance of caution, we have activated the appropriate infection control protocols, including isolating the patient. Our medical team continues to evaluate and monitor progress in close collaboration with the CDC and the Department of Health," Hamilton said in a statement.
The statement did not indicate when the patient had most recently been in Nigeria.
Dr. Joxel Garcia, director of the D.C. Department of Health, said his organization is working with the Centers for Control and Prevention and Howard University Hospital "to monitor any patients displaying symptoms associated with the Ebola virus. At this time, there are no confirmed cases of Ebola in the District of Columbia."
According to the latest figures from the World Health Organization, the total number of cases in the current Ebola outbreak in West Africa is now 7,178, with 3,338 reported deaths, mainly in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea.
No new Ebola cases have been diagnosed in Nigeria, which is also in West Africa, since Aug. 31, suggesting that the outbreak there has been contained, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
In Dallas, a Liberian National, Thomas Eric Duncan, has been hospitalized after testing positive for the deadly virus. Duncan's family has been quarantined in their Dallas apartment for 21 days.
