Two suspected Ebola cases in Brazil test positive for meningitis and malaria, but deadly disease not ruled out

(Reuters) A man with a suspected case of Ebola in Brazil’s São Paulo state has tested positive for meningitis, as another suspected case of Ebola has emerged in Rio de Janeiro state, local health authorities said on Sunday.

In Rio de Janeiro, the patient tested positive for malaria, but in neither case does the diagnosis of other diseases rule out the possibility of Ebola, authorities said, adding that both cases are still under investigation.

In the São Paulo case, a man from the Democratic Republic of Congo presented with a fever after recently visiting the African country, while in Rio the patient had recently travelled to Uganda. Both countries are experiencing Ebola outbreaks.

In a separate statement, Brazil’s Health Ministry added that the man in São Paulo has been intubated and his condition is serious.