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County Health Department: Sierra Leone Traveler Tested Negative For Ebola

An individual was transported to the Maricopa Integrated Health System for Ebola testing on Friday morning and test results are negative from Ebola, according to a statement by the Maricopa County Department of Public Health.

Phoenix firefighters responded to a 911 call from the individual, who had recently traveled to Sierra Leone, where the Ebola epidemic has been raging. Phoenix Fire HazMat responded to the call as part of its infectious disease protocol.

Dr. Robert Fromm, the chief medical officer at MIHS, said the patient received an alternate diagnosis and has a very low risk of having Ebola.

"He has an alternate diagnosis that we’ve determined after testing. We are continuing on with a test for Ebola, it’s being done by the state laboratory," he said in an interview with KJZZ. "But we think it’s very, very, very unlikely that he has Ebola.”

Dr. Rebecca Sunenshine, medical director for disease control at the public health department, said in the statement that the patient did not have direct contact with any Ebola patient while in Sierra Leone nor did they attend any funerals.

“In addition, it is important to remember, that because this patient was not symptomatic in flight, there is no risk to anyone who flew with this patient nor did he expose anyone in Maricopa County,” Sunenshine said.

Four Ebola cases have been confirmed in the United States since the outbreak, none of which were in Arizona.

Updated 12/1/2014 at 7:17 a.m.

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Kristena Hansen was a reporting at KJZZ from 2014 to 2015.