Two African motorcyclists traveling Route 66 were found dead Saturday in their motel rooms in Springfield, Missouri, of what was described as undetermined “health issues,” according to two television stations in the city.
According to KY3 in Springfield:
The Springfield-Greene County Health Department is investigating how they died at La Quinta inn near North Glenstone Avenue at Interstate 44. […]
With viruses like Ebola as a concern in parts of Africa, first responders contacted the Health Department. When health officials arrived, they determined the two men were from the southern region of Africa; Ebola is not a concern there.
Still, as a precaution, health officials contacted the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, which then called the U.S. Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta. The CDC indicated the two men were not on a monitoring list for any diseases that would be a threat to the public. […]
The Greene County medical examiner is conducting autopsies to determine the causes of death. The men were in the States doing a self-guided tour of Route 66 on motorcycles. They started in Chicago; Springfield was their second stop on the way to California. They checked in at the La Quinta inn last Wednesday and were going to check out Friday but decided to stay until Saturday.
Health officials were confident enough it wasn’t Ebola, they didn’t quarantine the rooms.
KSPR-TV said officials are trying to contact the travelers’ next of kin. Their names then will be released.