UK hospitals put on standby as investigation into first European case of Ebola launched
LAST UPDATED AT 09:43 ON Wed 8 Oct 2014
Spanish authorities are investigating how a nurse became infected with the Ebola virus, as health workers blame substandard protective clothing and equipment for the spread of the disease.
The woman, identified locally as Teresa Romero, was the first person to contract the virus outside West Africa, apparently while treating two infected missionaries in a Spanish hospital.
"We don't know yet what failed," a government representative told The Guardian. "We are investigating the mechanism of infection."
Romero, her husband and three other people remain under quarantine in Madrid. Another 50 people she is believed to have been in contact with are also being monitored. A court has also ordered that her dog be put down as a precaution.
A World Health Organization (WHO) Ebola advisor has warned of the risks to healthcare workers treating Ebola, saying that the disease can spread even in high level isolation units in Western hospitals. "The smallest mistake can be fatal," he told the BBC.
Over 3,400 people have died in the current outbreak across West Africa, with Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea the worst affected.
Meanwhile, US scientists have forecasted that there is a 50 per cent chance that the UK will see its first case of Ebola in the next three weeks. However, health officials in England insist the risk "remains low".
Despite this, four major NHS hospitals in London, Sheffield, Liverpool and Newcastle have been put on standby to receive infected patients, the Daily Telegraph reports. David Cameron is also expected to convene an emergency Cobra meeting this morning to discuss the UK's response to the outbreak.
This comes after the WHO warned that further cases of Ebola in Europe are "quite unavoidable".
The United States has drawn up plans to screen international arrivals for the disease, however public health officials have ruled out a similar response in the UK.
Source: http://www.theweek.co.uk/
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