BREAKING: Ebola-like virus detected in the UK as patient receives specialist care in London

BREAKING: Ebola-like virus detected in the UK as the patient receives specialist care at the Royal Free Hospital in London.

BREAKING NEWS – A woman was diagnosed with an Ebola-like virus at Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust in the UK and is now receiving specialist care at the Royal Free Hospital in London.

The virus, called Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever, was reportedly detected in the woman after she travelled to Central Asia, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said.

According to the Mirror, the virus is a viral disease that is usually transmitted by ticks and livestock animals in countries where the disease is endemic. It normally requires an incubation period of one to three days, with a maximum of nine days, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).

Family and friends who may have been in close contact with the woman are being now contacted in order to ascertain whether the virus has been transmitted, although a chief medical adviser at the UKHSA said the virus “does not spread easily between people and the overall risk to the public is very low”.

Dr Hopkins said: “UKHSA and the NHS have well-established and robust infection control procedures for dealing with cases of imported infectious disease and these will be strictly followed.”

Dr Sir Michael Jacobs, a consultant in infectious diseases at the Royal Free London, said: “The Royal Free Hospital is a specialist centre for treating patients with viral infections such as Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever.

“Our high level isolation unit is run by an expert team of doctors, nurses, therapists and laboratory staff and is designed to ensure we can safely treat patients with these kind of infections,” as reported by the Daily Star.

The WHO said: “Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever is a viral haemorrhagic fever usually transmitted by ticks.

“It can also be contracted through contact with viraemic animal tissues (animal tissue where the virus has entered the bloodstream) during and immediately post-slaughter of animals.

“CCHF outbreaks constitute a threat to public health services as the virus can lead to epidemics, has a high case fatality ratio (10-40 per cent), potentially results in hospital and health facility outbreaks, and is difficult to prevent and treat.

“CCHF is endemic in all of Africa, the Balkans, the Middle East and in Asia.”

Cases of the virus in the UK are extremely rare, with the last one diagnosed in 2014 and before that, in 2012.

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