Brazilian health authorities ruled out a suspected Ebola case in Sao Paulo state on June 1, after laboratory tests found no genetic material from the virus.
Suspected Case Ruled Out
The patient, a 37-year-old man who recently arrived from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, presented with fever and diarrhea, symptoms covered by Ebola surveillance protocols. He remains in serious condition in the intensive care unit of the Emilio Ribas Institute of Infectious Diseases, a reference center for suspected or confirmed Ebola cases.
Risk Remains Low
The health department stated that the risk of Ebola being introduced into Brazil and South America remains very low, citing the absence of local transmission, no direct flights from affected areas, and the requirement for direct contact with bodily fluids for transmission.