Briton with Ebola being flown home

A British medic who has tested positive for Ebola while working in Sierra Leone is being flown back to the UK for treatment.

Employees involved in the production of Ebola virus detection reagent

UN says Ebola outbreak could take months to bring under control, and has vowed to fight the virus. (AAP)

A British healthcare worker who contracted the Ebola virus in Sierra Leone is being flown to London for treatment, the Department of Health says.

Officials said the patient was currently on a military plane en route back to Britain and, while not seriously ill, would be treated at an isolation unit at a London hospital.

"The Department of Health, Public Health England (PHE) and NHS England can confirm that, following clinical advice, a decision has been made to repatriate a British national healthcare worker residing in Sierra Leone, who has been diagnosed with Ebola virus disease," a statement issued by the Department of Health said.

England's deputy chief medical officer Professor John Watson insisted the risk of the virus being spread in Britain was "very low".

The Briton is the first person from the country to have contracted the virus in a recent, devastating outbreak.

The Mail on Sunday newspaper reported that the infected person is a male medic who was working for a charity in Sierra Leone.

Ebola has spread through Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone, while Nigeria has also been affected, killing a total of 1,427 people since March.


Share

2 min read

Published

Updated



Share this with family and friends


Get SBS News daily and direct to your Inbox

Sign up now for the latest news from Australia and around the world direct to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Download our apps
SBS News
SBS Audio
SBS On Demand

Listen to our podcasts
An overview of the day's top stories from SBS News
Interviews and feature reports from SBS News
Your daily ten minute finance and business news wrap with SBS Finance Editor Ricardo Gonçalves.
A daily five minute news wrap for English learners and people with disability
Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS
SBS World News

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service
Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world