Glasgow hospital ward partially closed due to 'suspected Ebola virus' case

A Glasgow hospital ward has been partially closed due to a suspected case of Ebola virus.

It is understood that the individual arrived at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital’s Acute Receiving Unit during the early hours of Tuesday morning.

Tests are currently being carried out to confirm whether the individual has contracted the deadly and contagious disease.

Currently, both the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda are responding to an outbreak of Ebola. One case has also been recorded in France.

Public Health Scotland has confirmed that there are “well established protocols for assessing and testing travellers arriving in the UK from areas affected by Ebola”.

A spokesperson said: “Where required, contact tracing will occur and contacts may undergo clinical assessment and precautionary testing.

“The UKHSA Returning Workers Scheme (RWS) which aims to protect and monitor the health of those who may travel from the UK to affected areas for their work, has been activated. Organisations deploying workers to affected areas where they may be exposed to Ebola through their work, should register those workers with the scheme.”

If the patient is confirmed to have Ebola, it would be the first case to be detected in Scotland since Cambuslang nurse Pauline Cafferkey underwent treatment at the country’s largest hospital in 2016 after a recurrence of the illness.

She initially contracted the disease while working at an Ebola Treatment Centre in Kerry Town, Sierra Leone.

PHS added: “There are currently no confirmed cases of Ebola in Scotland and the risk to the general public remains low.”