Ebola Virus Disease in the United Kingdom (Scotland ex Sierra Leone)

30 Dec 2014

Health Protection Scotland (HPS) is aware that a confirmed case of Ebola has been diagnosed in Glasgow.

HPS is working with colleagues from Scottish Government, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, Public Health England and other agencies to ensure that all necessary steps are being taken.

HPS are in the process of contacting all passengers who travelled from Heathrow to Glasgow on the same flight as the patient on Sunday 28 December 2014.

The risk of anyone else having contracted the disease is negligible.

Advice for Travellers

The risk of travellers becoming infected or developing Ebola haemorrhagic fever is extremely low, unless there has been direct contact with blood or bodily fluids of dead or living infected persons or animals. Healthcare workers are at particular risk, although practising appropriate infection control should effectively prevent transmission of disease in this setting.

Travellers returning from tropical countries should always seek rapid medical attention if they develop flu-like symptoms (such as fever, headache, diarrhoea or general malaise) within three weeks after return, and be reminded to mention to their health care provider that they have recently travelled.