American Nurse Possibly Exposed to Ebola Arrives at Atlanta Hospital

An American worker treating Ebola patients in West Africa is reportedly being transferred to a hospital in Atlanta after possibly being exposed to the virus.

The patient, whose identity has not been released, is reportedly being transferred to Emory University Hospital in Atlanta, Georgia after possibly being exposed to the Ebola virus while working in West Africa.

The hospital told Reuters in a statement that it would not release the patient's identity, where they were traveling from, or when they would be arriving in the U.S. "out of respect for patient privacy and in accordance with the patient's wishes," the statement read. 

CBS News reported Thursday that the patient arrived in Atlanta at around 5:45 a.m. and had been working as a nurse in Sierra Leone when she believes she may have been infected with the disease.

The arrival of the patient comes one day after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention designated 35 U.S. hospitals has being up to the task of caring for Ebola patients, should more arrive in the country.

The hospitals exist in major hub cities where flights from West Africa may arrive, including Chicago, New Jersey, Atlanta, New York, Minneapolis, San Francisco, and others.

Along with needing the proper equipment and staff, hospitals who were vetted to take Ebola patients also need modern quarantine systems that allow the Ebola patient to remain in complete isolation while undergoing treatment.

The Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston also announced Thursday that a patient being tested for Ebola had tested negative for the virus, although they did test positive for malaria.

"We think malaria is probably the total explanation for this, but we want to be absolutely sure," Dr. David Hooper, head of Mass General's infection control unit, told WBUR-TV.