A woman from Liberia, detained Wednesday morning by authorities at O'Hare International Airport, was put in isolation at the Kenosha County Jail.
The woman was not showing any signs of Ebola, according to a report by WITI-TV in Milwaukee, but was isolated out of an abundance of caution because Liberia is among the African countries hardest hit by the virus.
Medical staff at the jail, which routinely houses those detained by U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials, was monitoring the woman since she arrived at about 1 a.m. Wednesday.
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It wasn't immediately clear why immigration officials detained the woman, but O'Hare is among five airports around the country ramping up screening efforts of travelers from West African countries.
The woman left the jail after several hours and was transported to O'Hare International Airport where she was turned back over to the custody of Immigration Customs Enforcement.
"The detainee remained in good health and still showed no signs or symptoms of the Ebola virus when the detainee left the custody of the Kenosha County Sheriff’s Department," according to a release from Sgt. Bill Beth with the Kenosha County Sheriff's Department.
Illinois state public health officials said Wednesday the state was in the clear but in a connected world, an out-of-control virus is a serious problem anywhere on the globe. Dr. LaMar Hasbrouck, director of the Illinois Department of Public Health, said state officials were prepared to deal with the Ebola virus should it arrive in the state.
