Rubber gloves are pictured in a dressing area during an Ebola training session of German army Bundeswehr
Rubber gloves are pictured in a dressing area during an Ebola training session of German army Bundeswehr at the Marseille barracks in Appen, October 23, 2014. REUTERS/Fabian Bimmer

Update: The doctor has tested positive for Ebola. He is identified as Dr. Craig Spencer.

A New York doctor was tested for Ebola. The healthcare worker was recently in West Africa.

Bellevue Hospital officials said that the doctor was tested for Ebola on Thursday. The 31-year-old doctor reportedly worked with Doctors Without Borders. He apparently quarantined himself after he had come back from West Africa with abdominal pains and a fever. He was transported to Bellevue Hospital, one of the eight New York State hospitals with specialised Ebola units. According to CBS News reports, the doctor treated Ebola patients in Guinea.

The doctor followed the protocols of Doctors Without Borders as he informed the officials of his health condition. He reported his fever to the officials on Thursday. Doctors Without Borders spokesman Tim Shenk said that the individual had followed the DWB guidelines and reported the development immediately. The doctor called 911 as he quarantined himself. He was received from his Upper Manhattan apartment. An EMS crew came in specialised suits and picked the doctor up at around noon on Thursday.

Bellevue Hospital said that New York health officials would trace the contacts of the patients to make sure if there was any additional risk. So far, there is no confirmation that the doctor is tested positive for Ebola. However, Bellevue issued a statement which said that it would be determined within the next 12 hours if the doctor had contracted the virus or not. CNBC reported that the city health department posted a statement on its website that said that the health department was convinced to conduct an Ebola test for the doctor. "After consulting with the hospital and the CDC, [the health department] has decided to conduct a test for the Ebola virus because of this patient's recent travel history, pattern of symptoms, and past work," the statement said.

The healthcare worker reportedly returned in the last 21 days, considered to the incubation period for Ebola. He apparently returned to the United States from one of three countries currently facing the virus outbreak. The city health department said that the New York City was taking all the necessary precautions "to ensure the health and safety of all New Yorkers."

Contact the writer: s.mukhopadhyay@ibtimes.com.au