Ebola ruled out for patient at Mount Sinai

The man placed in isolation at Mount Sinai Hospital after returning from West Africa has tested negative for the Ebola virus, the hospital said Wednesday.

"We would like to report that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have determined that the patient kept in isolation . . . has tested negative for Ebola Virus Disease (EVD). The patient is in stable condition, is improving, and remains in the care of our physicians and nurses," the hospital said in a statement.

It was not clear what disease he has or whether he remains in isolation.

The man, who had traveled recently to an undisclosed West African country that is combating an Ebola virus outbreak, had been quarantined at the Manhattan hospital after he came to the emergency department early Monday with high fever and gastrointestinal symptoms.

The death toll from the virus continues to rise in the four West African nations where the outbreak has occurred. As of Monday, 932 people have died, according to the World Health Organization.

Two Americans who contracted Ebola while in West Africa are in Atlanta being treated at Emory University Hospital and their conditions are improving, officials said.

Both Nancy Writebol, 59, an aid worker, and Kent Brantly, 33, a doctor, have received an experimental antibody cocktail.

Nigeria's health ministry said it had written to the CDC requesting access to the drug, but President Barack Obama said Wednesday that he would need more information about the experimental drug before advocating its wider use.

"I don't think all the information is in on whether this drug is helpful," Obama said. "I will continue to seek information about what we're learning with respect to these drugs going forward."

Residents in Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria and Sierra Leone have contracted the disease. The CDC has urged U.S. residents to avoid nonessential travel to Sierra Leone, Guinea and Liberia.

Also, Wednesday, Liberia's president declared a state of emergency in his country while Nigerian authorities rushed to obtain isolation tents in anticipation of more Ebola infections as they disclosed five more cases of the virus and a death in Africa's most populous nation.

In Spain, the Defense Ministry said a medically equipped plane was ready to fly to Liberia to bring back a Spanish missionary priest who has Ebola.

At the same time, Saudi officials reported a suspected Ebola death.