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Doctor Who Visited Africa Tests Positive For Ebola In NYC

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NEW YORK (CBSDFW.COM/CBS NEWS) - A health care worker who recently had been to West Africa tested positive for the Ebola virus in New York City Thursday, the New York Times reported.

The man, confirmed by CBSNewYork as Dr. Craig Spencer, 31, who worked with the aid group Doctors Without Borders, had quarantined himself after coming down with a fever and abdominal pains and was later transported to Bellevue, one of eight hospitals in New York State with specialized Ebola units.

The city of Dallas had the first confirmed case of Ebola diagnosed in the United States. Subsequently two nurses who worked on that patient, Thomas Eric Duncan, also contracted the virus.

Just today in Austin, Texas' Health Services Commissioner Dr. David Lakey says the CDC's initial guidelines for personal protective gear worn by healthcare workers this month were inadequate.

Dr. Lakey made the remarks during a break in the first hearing of the Texas Task Force On Infectious Disease Preparedness & Response.

Complete Coverage Of Ebola In North Texas

Back in New York, Bellevue confirmed earlier Thursday that Spencer was being tested for the virus.

Spencer, who works in emergency medicine at Columbia-Presbyterian Hospital, is believed to have treated Ebola patients in Guinea, the station reports.

What makes this case different from other cases that have turned out to be false alarms is that this patient reportedly returned from West Africa within the last two weeks, according to CBS News chief medical correspondent, Dr. Jon LaPook. That is the time symptoms most often begin to appear and Spencer is showing some of those symptoms.

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(© Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

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