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Ebola ruled out after passenger gets sick on flight to Richmond

Posted at 9:18 PM, Dec 12, 2014
and last updated 2014-12-12 23:52:47-05

HENRICO COUNTY, Va. -- An Emergency Medical Technician was called to treat a passenger who fell ill on a flight from Chicago to Richmond Friday evening.

The EMT took the passenger off the plane.

The male passenger got sick during the flight, according to a spokesperson for American Airlines.

When Henrico Fire and EMS arrived at the airport, they followed CDC protocol for Ebola screening. Ebola was eventually ruled out, airport spokesman Troy Bell said.

The passenger had not recently traveled to any country being monitored by the Centers for Disease Control following the Ebola outbreak.

A spokesperson for VCU Medical Center said there was no one being treated for Ebola at the Richmond hospital.

The situation caught the attention of many travelers in the airport Friday night.

"It brings the whole thing close to home," said one traveler.