Suspected Ebola patient in US sent to hospital

An American health care worker, suspected to have been exposed to the Ebola virus in West Africa has been sent to the Emory University Hospital in Atlanta.

"The patient arrived at the hospital this morning at approximately 5.45 a.m. (10.45 GMT)," the hospital said in a statement, according to a Xinhua report.

"Emory cannot share more details out of respect for the patient's privacy and in accordance with the patient's wishes," it said, adding that the patient will be monitored and tested to see if an infection has been acquired.

Emory's serious communicable diseases unit has successfully treated four of the 10 patients who have been identified as receiving care in the US for Ebola.

Earlier this week, US health officials designated 35 hospitals, including Emory, as Ebola treatment centers.

The Ebola disease is a severe, often fatal illness in humans. It is transmitted to people from wild animals and spreads in humans through direct contact with the bodily fluids of an infected person.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), nearly 7, 000 people have died of the disease, mainly in the West African countries of Sierra Leone, Guinea and Liberia.