Tulsa Health Officials Use CDC Guidelines To Handle Possible Ebola Situation

We now know the Tulsa County patient being monitored for Ebola has Malaria, but we do not know whether the patient also has Ebola.

OSU Medical Center sent out a news release Saturday morning, November 1, noting that the patient did not provide care of have contact with anyone who has Ebola, so they are considered to be low risk.

The story has unfolded over the last 24 hours after the Tulsa Health Department sent an email, just before 8:30 Thursday night, saying they were monitoring someone for Ebola-like symptoms.

10/31/2014 Related Story: Patient Tests Positive For Malaria, THD Waiting For Ebola Test Results

They said someone in Tulsa County recently traveled to West Africa, that health officials had been taking the person's temperature, following Centers for Disease Control guidelines.

Thursday, the patient told health officials he or she had a fever – one of the noted symptoms of Ebola.

“They contacted us and we were able to immediately implement our isolation and evaluation process and ensure that individual was transported safely via ambulance to a local hospital where they could be evaluated further,” said Leanne Stephens with the Tulsa Health Department.

The patient is currently in isolation at OSU Medical Center, and is still considered low-risk.

“Because they were classified as low risk, that means that they were not there treating people with Ebola or providing care to people with Ebola,” Stephens said.

Friday morning, initial tests confirmed the patient has Malaria, which can only be transmitted to humans by mosquitoes.

Pharmacists Barry Ewy with Blessings International said, "The strange thing about Malaria is there is a cycle of about two days where you have the flu and chills, then those taper off and in another two days they come back, so it's a cycle type thing.”

10/31/2014 Related Story: Local Nonprofit Providing Care To Countries Suffering From Malaria

The CDC will have to confirm whether the patient also has Ebola.

“The risk to the general public is low because the only way to contract Ebola is through direct contact with bodily fluids of someone who is symptomatic for the disease,” said Stephens.

The Oklahoma State Department of Health is building an Ebola unit for any Oklahoman confirmed with the virus. The unit will be located in Oklahoma City.