Over the weekend, a health scare in Manhattan briefly ignited concerns of an Ebola virus outbreak after two individuals were transported from an urgent care center to Bellevue Hospital. According to FOX 5, the incident occurred at CityMD on East 125th Street in East Harlem after the Fire Department of New York (FDNY) responded to a potential case of a patient exposed to an infectious disease. However, after consultation with the Department of Health, it was confirmed that neither of the patients had the Ebola virus.

Speculation surrounding the patients' condition arose from the fact that they had exhibited symptoms reminiscent of Ebola, a concern likely exacerbated by recent travel histories possibly linked to regions currently experiencing an Ebola outbreak. As first responders, clad in protective gear, treated and quickly transported the patients on the rain-drenched streets of the Upper East Side, the scene prompted immediate worry. Acting Commissioner Dr. Michelle Morse of the NYC Health Department reassured, in a statement obtained by FOX 5, "The two patients that sought services at CityMD on February 16 at 153 East 125th Street do not have Ebola."

Further details emerged from a Daily Mail report, which noted that the initial suspicions were potentially due to the patients' travel from Uganda, where an outbreak of the Sudan strain of Ebola has been ongoing. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued a Health Alert Network (HAN) Health Advisory, asking doctors to commence evaluating Americans for Ebola and a Level 2 travel alert for Uganda in light of the outbreak that has emerged in several regions of the country.

While the identities of the said patients have not been disclosed, sources suggested to the Daily Mail that the illness could be norovirus, rather than Ebola. CityMD maintained patient privacy and echoed health officials' findings, stating, "There is no report of any Ebola virus or exposure, consistent with what the DOH confirmed as well." As the situation unfolds, health authorities continue to monitor the developments of the Ebola outbreak in Uganda, now challenged to further trial vaccines in an effort to quickly halt the spread of this deadly disease with no currently approved treatments.