Rhode Island Hospital: Nursing home worker does not have Ebola

JOHNSTON, R.I. — A Johnston nursing home worker who was taken to Rhode Island Hospital with flu-like symptoms Thursday does not have Ebola, the hospital told NBC 10 News.

Johnston town officials told NBC 10 News the worker at Cherry Hill Manor had recently visited the African country of Nigeria and that first responders wore protective gear out of an abundance of caution.

A Rhode Island Hospital representative said the hospital follows protocol set forth by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to determine whether a patient has Ebola. The hospital would not elaborate, citing patient confidentiality.

But the state Department of Health said Ebola was ruled out based on the woman's travel history. It said Nigeria no longer has active cases of Ebola.

Cherry Hill Manor was cleared by the state Department of Health to return to normal operations after a short lockdown put in place by the fire department.