Health Department: Hawaii man does not have Ebola

The state Health Department has determined that a man hospitalized in isolation at the Queen’s Medical Center does not meet the criteria for testing for Ebola and the man is no longer under evaluation for possible Ebola infection.

"The hospital acted in the best interests of the community, with an abundance of caution," said Health Director Dr. Linda Rosen said in a news release. "We commend the facility for being prepared and remaining vigilant regarding the risk of Ebola. After investigation by the health department, it was determined that the individual did not meet the clinical or travel exposure criteria for an Ebola infection."

Benjamin N. Haynes CDC spokesman, said Thursday: "We can’t say definitively it’s not Ebola if no test is done, but it doesn’t appear to be Ebola based on symptoms and history."

Health officials have declined to provide details about the identity of the person, the symptoms or the hospital, citing federal privacy laws.

The patient is believed to be a man and is at the Queen’s Medical Center, but a Queen’s spokeswoman declined comment.

The case was reported to state health officials Wednesday. 

Ebola symptoms include fever, severe headache, muscle pain, weakness, diarrhea, vomiting, stomach pain or unexplained hemorrhaging. Symptoms may appear from two to 21 days after exposure to Ebola, but the average is eight to 10 days, according to the CDC website.