Person in UK tests negative for Ebola as cases rise
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The virus has infected nearly 1,300 people and killed more than 360 people across the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda.
PHOTO: REUTERS
- A person in Scotland tested negative for Ebola amid a deadly outbreak in Central Africa.
- The current Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda has infected nearly 1,300 people and caused over 360 deaths.
- The rare Bundibugyo strain lacks approved vaccines or treatments, complicating containment efforts amid conflict and poor disease surveillance in the affected region.
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GLASGOW – A person admitted to hospital in Scotland with suspected Ebola has tested negative, as central Africa faces a deadly outbreak of the virus.
The person arrived at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow on June 30, according to a report from the BBC. A representative for the hospital declined to comment.
Public Health Scotland said in a statement that a person was tested for Ebola as a precautionary measure. “The test result has now been received and is negative.”
Had the test been positive, the patient would have been the first Ebola case the UK has seen during the ongoing outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The virus has infected nearly 1,300 people and killed more than 360 people across DRC and Uganda.
There has also been one case outside the outbreak region. A French doctor doing humanitarian work in DRC tested positive for Ebola and is receiving care, the health ministry said June 24.
The outbreak – caused by the rare Bundibugyo strain – was likely spreading for weeks before it was detected by officials. The strain has no approved vaccine or treatments, sparking a rush among researchers to develop a therapy.
Health officials have struggled to trace contacts of people who were infected and contain the virus in a region that has been struck by insecurity, hunger, conflict and gaps in disease surveillance. BLOOMBERG
