Man Released From Nebraska Hospital After Being Found Free of Ebola

The American man who was being monitored at a Nebraska medical center after possible exposure to Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has been released after failing to develop the disease.

The man did not show any symptoms of the disease and is not believed to pose a risk to the public, the medical center announced in a statement.

Before he was released, the man was monitored at the Nebraska Medicine – Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha for a mandatory 21-day period. The center, which also worked to contain Africa’s 2014 Ebola outbreak, is one of only a few medical facilities in the country that specializes in bio-containment.

“Because this individual was symptom-free throughout the monitoring period, it was determined they did not have Ebola, and therefore, were free to depart our facility and return home,” said Dr. Ted Cieslak, a Nebraska medicine infectious disease specialist and professor of epidemiology.

Ebola is believed to have infected 630 people and killed 385 people since the start of the outbreak in August, the World Health Organization said on Jan. 9. Experts say that the situation in the country has become more dire since the country’s disputed presidential election. Hundreds of refugees have fled from the DRC in Uganda, and some protesters vandalized Ebola response facilities, according to the Associated Press.

World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said earlier this month that he was concerned “prolonged insecurity” in the DRC would cause Ebola to spread, according to the Associated Press.