Dead US soldier did not have Ebola: military

A US soldier found dead at his home in Texas after returning from duty in West Africa was not carrying the Ebola virus, the US military said Wednesday.

Medical officials confirmed "that the more conclusive PCR Assay test results are negative for the presence of the Ebola virus disease," the military said in a statement from Fort Hood, Texas.

Officials at the base's Carl Darnell Army Medical Center "have notified national, state and local officials that there is no evidence of a public health threat or EVD exposure to community or law enforcement officials involved in the current investigation."

The cause of death has still not been made public.

The 24-year-old soldier, who was not identified, had returned to his home near the base in Killeen, Texas on emergency leave from West Africa where his unit was involved in the response to the Ebola epidemic.

About 2,300 American troops are deployed in West Africa to help with international efforts to contain the outbreak.

Soldiers returning from the region normally are confined to base for a period as a precaution, but the soldier was allowed to go home under guidelines to self-monitor his health twice a day and report to medical officials.

He was part of a group of army engineers given the task of setting up field hospitals and living quarters for health workers.

© 2015 AFP