First Ebola diagnoses in New York City, Mali

A New York City doctor has tested positive for Ebola after returning from aid work in West Africa, spurring authorities to track his movements and city and state officials to reassure the public the risk of contracting the disease is minimal.

It is the first case of Ebola diagnosed in the most populous U.S. city. The doctor, Craig Spencer, 33, is being treated in an isolation unit at Bellevue Hospital Center in Manhattan. Officials are monitoring those who were in contact with Spencer.

Spencer returned to New York from Guinea, one of three countries where the Ebola outbreak has been raging, on 17 October, after working there with Doctors Without Borders. 

He began to feel unwell on 21 October and spiked a fever two days later. Spencer immediately informed the authorities and was moved to an isolation ward via a special ambulance.

Another first diagnosis has also been made, this time in the west African nation of Mali. 

A 2-year-old girl has been diagnosed with Ebola, making her the country's first confirmed case, health officials said yesterday.

The girl was brought to Mali from neighboring Guinea, where the outbreak this year is believed to have started, a World Health Organization spokesperson said.

The girl, whose father died of Ebola, was taken to the hospital in Kayes after a nurse noticed she was suffering from what appeared to be Ebola-like symptoms. A test confirmed the girl has the virus.