A BRITON is feared to have caught the deadly Ebola virus after travelling in the West African region where it has claimed more than 800 lives.
Health chiefs in Wales said yesterday that the condition of the suspected victim is being "closely monitored".
Officials
confirmed that the unnamed patient from Cardiff, South Wales, contacted
them after feeling ill on their return to British soil.
They
were effectively quarantined in their own home and would speak to
doctors on a daily basis until the threat was deemed to have passed.
Public
Health Wales said the patient believed they "may have been exposed" to
the virus which has killed 826 people in Liberia, Sierra Leone, Nigeria
and Guinea.
Spokesperson Anna Humphries said:
"We have known about this person for the last week - somebody travelled
in West Africa and came back a week ago.
"They identified they may have been exposed to Ebola.
"The reason we haven't spoken about this before is the individual is not currently a case of ebola."
She said there was "no risk to the public" posed by the quarantined traveller and stressed that the case is unconfirmed.
The reason we haven't spoken about this before is the individual is not currently a case of ebola
"The first symptom is usually a high temperature and they could get that for a number of reasons - with a cold or the flu.
"But as an absolute precaution they would be taken to their nearest hospital for tests.
"In the event that happens, it would be the first case of Ebola in the UK - that would be a fairly big deal."
Ebola
symptoms include a sudden fever, intense weakness, muscle pain,
headache and sore throat, then vomiting, diarrhoea, rashes and impaired
kidney and liver function.
Yesterday's development came as victims were offered new hope by a serum used to treat two American doctors infected in Liberia.
US
experts said Kent Brantly's condition had improved after being given
ZMapp, and the drug would now be given to his colleague Nancy Writebol.
Both
Dr Brantley, 33, and Dr Writebol, 60, are in hospital in Atlanta after
contracting the disease while caring for victims at a charity-run
mission.
A hospital source said: "Within an hour
of receiving the medication, Brantly's condition was nearly reversed.
His breathing improved, the rash over his trunk faded away."
British
Airways has suspended flights to Liberia and Sierra Leone until the end
of August over concerns about the Ebola outbreak.
The
carrier normally operates a four-times-a-week service from Heathrow to
Freetown in Sierra Leone, with a connection on to Monrovia in Liberia.
BA
said: "We have temporarily suspended our flights to and from Liberia
and Sierra Leone until August 31 2014 due to the deteriorating public
health situation in both countries.
"The safety
of our customers, crew and ground teams is always our top priority and
we will keep the routes under constant review in the coming weeks.
"Customers
with tickets on those routes are being offered a range of options
including a full refund and the ability to rebook their flights to a
later date."
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