Ebola Virus 2014 Outbreak News Update: New York Doctor Positive for Disease After Treating Patients in Guinea

New York finds its first case of Ebola in the name of another health professional, Dr. Craig Spencer.

Volunteering as a member of the "Doctors Without Borders" in Guinea, the 33-year-old physician was rushed to Bellevue Hospital on Thursday afternoon. In the evening, New York public health officials confirmed the doctor's unfortunate condition.

Sources told New York Post that the doctor manifested Ebola symptoms, including fever that hit 103 degrees Fahrenheit. Spencer has returned to New York on Oct. 17. It was during a bowling activity in Brooklyn when he began showing signs of Ebola.

Officials have already started contact tracing -- identifying all of Spencer's contacts and associations from the time of his arrival. According to The New York Times, Spencer traveled on Wednesday night from Manhattan to Brooklyn. He went to a bowling alley in Williamsburg and eventually got home via Uber car service.

Spencer additionally presented gastrointestinal symptoms such as nausea and abdominal pain. The New York City government issued a statement informing the public that Bellevue Hospital is "designated for the isolation, identification and treatment of potential Ebola patients by the City and State."

Furthermore, it assured its citizens that the City is "taking all necessary precautions to ensure the health and safety of all New Yorkers."

Landing on John F. Kennedy International Airport, Spencer seemed to be okay, having a temperature of 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit. It was Thursday of Oct. 23 when he and his girlfriend, 30-year-old Morgan Dixon, were quarantined.

The latter was picked up from her Downtown Brooklyn office. She was not reported to exhibit any signs of hosting the virus as of press time.

Spencer worked at the Columbia-Presbyterian Hospital in Manhattan. However, the hospital noted that the doctor has not returned to their facility since his arrival from abroad.

Just like New York City, Mali faces its first Ebola-confirmed case. Also arriving from Guinea, a 2-year-old girl tested positive with the deadly West African virus. Malian health minister Ousmane Kone said via BBC that those who have come in contact with the baby are under quarantine.

Reuters specified that the girl arrived from the town of Kissidougou in Guinea. She was admitted at Fousseyni Daou Hospital in Kayes on Wednesday night. An unnamed health ministry official told the outlet that the girl's mother has died weeks ago in Guinea. 

Today, Mali ranks as the sixth West African country to be affected by the outbreak. Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia are the most affected countries. We have previously reported that Nigeria is already Ebola-free.