Ebola 2014: Ebola ruled out in hospitalized Portland patient

November 2, 2014

Paul Lewis, M.D., Tri-County health officer (right) and Jessica Tegner, RN, a member of the care team.

On Sunday afternoon, Nov. 2, federal, state and county health leaders and caregivers at Providence Health & Services announced that a patient under monitoring in the Portland area tested negative for Ebola.

"We're relieved to report there are no cases of Ebola in Oregon and the CDC has advised us that no further testing is required,” says Dr. Katrina Hedberg, state health officer. "In this case, the system worked well and our preparations had a satisfactory outcome."

“This is good news for our patient, her family and her friends,” said Dave Underriner, chief executive for Providence in Oregon. “It’s also a reflection of the outstanding care provided by our specially trained teams here at Providence.” 

Out of respect for the patient’s privacy, no additional information on her condition or potential release is available at this time.

The Oregon Health Authority, Multnomah County Health Department and the hospital system worked with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to ensure the patient’s safety as well as protecting healthcare workers and the entire community.

Dr. Paul Lewis, Tri-County health officer, said, “We want to especially thank the frontline public health workers, the emergency medical service first responders and the Providence Health & Services employees who evaluated, transported and safely cared for this individual.’’

As of Sunday, Nov. 2, five people statewide are working with public health officials to monitor their health because of recent travel history to Liberia, Sierra Leone or Guinea. Four people are in the Portland metro area and one is in southern Oregon. The state of Oregon said these individuals present no risk to the community. Ebola is not contagious until symptoms appear.

Ebola is a severe, often fatal disease. Early symptoms of Ebola include sudden fever, fatigue and headache. Symptoms may appear anywhere from 2 to 21 days after exposure. Ebola is spread through direct contact with blood, secretions or other bodily fluids or exposure to contaminated objects, such as needles. 

Helpful links:

  Oregon Health Authority, www.healthoregon.org/ebola, for the latest on Ebola planning and response in Oregon

  Call 2-1-1, for general Ebola information in Oregon