Patient Tested for Ebola at Glasgow Hospital

A patient is being tested for the Ebola virus at a Glasgow hospital, the Press Association has reported.

It is understood the patient was admitted to the Queen Elizabeth university hospital in the early hours of Tuesday.

Tests are now being carried out to confirm whether the individual has contracted the disease.

A Public Health Scotland (PHS) spokesperson said there are “no confirmed cases of Ebola” in Scotland right now.

However, it continued: “Public Health Scotland is working closely with UKHSA [the UK Health Security Agency] to assess routes by which travellers may enter the UK from affected countries.

“The risk from people arriving in the UK from affected areas is low and the NHS has safe procedures in place for detecting and managing any such cases.

“PHS and NHS boards across Scotland have well-established protocols for assessing and testing travellers arriving in the UK from areas affected by Ebola where necessary.

“Where required, contact tracing will occur and contacts may undergo clinical assessment and precautionary testing.”

There have been almost 700 confirmed cases of bundibugyo Ebola virus, the majority of which are in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

About 138 people have died, including two in neighbouring Uganda.

If confirmed, it would be the first case in the UK since the outbreak in the DRC was declared a public health emergency of international concern by the World Health Organization.

The UK has committed up to £21m to support the local response to Ebola in DRC, helping to protect frontline workers and vulnerable communities.