COBB COUNTY, Ga. —
The Cobb County Jail is no longer accepting inmates after an inmate developed a fever. The man told jail officials that he recently traveled to Africa.
Jail officials confirm to Channel 2’s Ross Cavitt that the inmate is being tested for Ebola.
The man was arrested overnight for DUI.
We are anticipating an update from the Cobb County Sheriff’s Office and we will carry it live on wsbtv.com.
The news comes as official announce they are testing another potential Ebola patient at Howard University Hospital in Washington, DC.
Symptoms of Ebola include:
- Fever (greater than 101.5°F)
- Severe headache
- Muscle pain
- Weakness
- Diarrhea
- Vomiting
- Abdominal (stomach) pain
- Unexplained hemorrhage (bleeding or bruising)
Symptoms may appear anywhere from 2 to 21 days after exposure to Ebola, but the average is 8 to 10 days.
President Barack Obama traveled to Atlanta Sept. 16 to meet with officials at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in DeKalb County.
“If the outbreak is not stopped now, we could be looking at hundreds of thousands of people affected, with profound economic, political and security implications for all of us,” Obama said Tuesday after briefings at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Emory University.
“It’s a potential threat to global security if these countries break down,” Obama said, speaking of the hardest-hit countries of Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea. At least 2,400 people have died, with Liberia bearing the brunt.
The World Health Organization warned that the number of Ebola cases in West Africa could start doubling every three weeks and that the crisis could end up costing nearly $1 billion to contain. Joanne Liu, president of Doctors Without Borders, said the global response was falling short. “The window of opportunity to contain this outbreak is closing,” Liu told a meeting Tuesday at the United Nations in Geneva.
Nearly 5,000 people have become ill from Ebola in Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea, Nigeria and Senegal since it was first recognized in March. WHO says it anticipates that figure could rise to more than 20,000.
Check back for constant updates from wsbtv.com and get live coverage on Channel 2 Action News starting at 4 p.m.