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A PATIENT AT a Belfast hospital is being tested for Ebola.
A spokesperson for the Northern Ireland Public Health Agency confirmed the development this afternoon.
According to the agency, the person had recently been in an Ebola-affected country, and is now being assessed, in line with policy.
“The PHA is liaising with colleagues and has advised that there is no increased risk to the wider community,” a statement said.
It adds…
It is important to note that the likelihood of contracting EVD is extremely low unless the person had come into contact with blood or body fluids of a symptomatic person. Therefore we would like to stress that the risk to the public is low.
The patient, who is being treated at the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast, tested positive for Malaria, and an Ebola test is being done as a precautionary measure.
A further update will be given by the PHA when results are available.
Preparations
Health authorities in the North carried out a major exercise last month to prepare for a possible case of the disease.
Senior doctors and other medical professionals from the region’s five health trusts took part, along with the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service.
Speaking afterwards, the PHA’s Dr Lorraine Doherty said that “robust and practical plans” were in place to deal with Ebola in the event that someone presents with the illness.
Similar exercises took place in the Republic — with the Gardaí, fire service, and the HSE carrying out a simulated admission to the Mater Hospital’s National Isolation Unit.
Mater
Just under three weeks ago Ebola was ruled out in the case of a woman treated at the northside Dublin hospital, after she was deemed to be displaying symptoms that require further testing.
“The overall risk of a case of Ebola being brought into in Ireland is low,” the HSE said in a statement at the time.
“If a case is confirmed in Ireland, the primary concerns will be treatment of the patient and containing the situation. An important concern is maintaining medical confidentiality, and supporting the patient’s family and identifying any possible contacts.
“Should any case of Ebola Virus be confirmed in Ireland, a statement will issue.
“This statement would be released in the event that a diagnosis is confirmed and necessary controls have been put in place.”
First posted at 4pm.
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Is it Catholic Ebola or Protestant Ebola?
Fingers crossed the poor devil hasn’t got it.
Quick, blame Gerry Adams
Don’t forget the rest of Sinn Fein shure they probably tried to cover it up. I can see the stories in tomorrows Irish Independent
” Gerry Adams brought in Ebola”
“Adams stopped off in Liberia on the way to US”
“Sinn Fein (and defunct PIRA) in bio weapons scare”
“Gerry Adams bit the head off a live fruit bat and sparks Ebola scare!”
Well his party is in government up there. Is public health not the government’s responsibility?
Jim Wells (DUP) is the Minister for Health.
Neal
The lads in Stormont are not a Government but rather an Administration or to be more accurate they should be described as helping Her Majesty in pursuance of her writ in Northern Ireland .
And the Shinners will find some way to blame it on Enda Kenny.
Aghhhhh! Quick seal the border, run for the hills and fill up the media with columns of scare stories.
It’s tough to seal an invisible line……..
I don’t know about that. When the foot and mouth was going the Unionist/Loyalist community were giving out stink that for years the Provos were moving back and forth across the border but the moment one cow got sick you couldn’t move for the amount of gardai and Irish soldiers that would jump you if you even looked across the “invisible line”.
That was true
Ebola virus being treated for acute sectarian infection
I’d rather have a bowl a Co Co Pops
They found in Belfast that it can be cured by mixing curry with youghart.
And duck a L’orange!
Is #Outbreak the smartest thing to have at the end of the story?
Hope its not ebola
The Brits took hundreds of their troops out of their base in Derry and sent them to wast Africa to help fight Ebola-
I hope the diseased troops are not sent back here- Cameroon should keep them in London when they return-
Or they all catch Ebola, whatever works.
If the poor misfortunate has malaria already this is prob just a precaution
Result will be clear.
Journal might consider this:
If you bring ebola to Ireland you should get life in prison for attempted murder
seemingly apple are working on a new virus call i-bola !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Do you get 5% extra marks in that test if you do it as Gaedhilge?
She’ll be right this is Ireland – the hse will take care of it! No worries
All I’ve got to say is Tiocfaidh Ar Bola
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