North Wales Male Admitted to Hospital & Tested For Ebola

UPDATE SATURDAY: Public Health England have said this morning the ‘test result for Ebola is NEGATIVE’.

original story below…

A male from North Wales has been taken to Liverpool Hospital to be tested for the Ebola virus.

The male who has a history of travelling to Western Africa was taken ill earlier this morning. However a spokesperson for Public Health Wales stated that ‘Ebola is considered very unlikely’.

Earlier today the patient was transported to Royal Liverpool University Hospital earlier – which is one of four hospitals in the UK put on Ebola standby last year.

Dr Deborah Turbitt, Ebola National Incident Director at Public Health England, said: ““Public Health England can confirm a patient has been admitted to Royal Liverpool University Hospital and is currently undergoing a series of tests – one of which is for Ebola. Ebola is considered very unlikely but testing will take place as a precaution, as is our usual practice in these circumstances.

“Between August last year and early June, 240 individuals with relevant symptoms and a travel history were tested for Ebola in the UK. The risk of Ebola to the general public in the UK remains very low. Ebola can only be transmitted by direct contact with the blood or bodily fluids of an infected person. We have well established and practiced infection control procedures for dealing with cases of imported infectious disease, and our systems have demonstrated that the UK is able to manage a case of Ebola if identified.”

Earlier today there had been reports of a police convoy spotted travelling through North Wales and down the A55 from Llandudno. We queried with Public Health England as to whether the convoy seen had been travelling towards Liverpool however they were unable to comment.

Earlier today there was a police convoy spotted by Wrexham, involving the Gresford roundabout being closed off for a few minutes as it passed through. Speaking with police at the time it was indicated there were two police convoys in North Wales, one thought to be training and the other medically related.

The latter, from Llandudno, is believed to be the patient transit to Liverpool rather than involving the local police convoy earlier today.