19 Aug 2014 20:03 GMT+02:00
Two Nigerians in Upper Austria who recently returned from Lagos on August 13 have been placed into quarantine on Tuesday while medical officials test them for the possibility of the deadly ebola virus.The two Nigerians returned from Lagos recently, and experienced fever and other symptoms that triggered medical officials to immediately place them into quarantine, while samples of their blood were sent to Hamburg for urgent evaluation.
All persons they came into contact with have been identified.
Blood tests have been sent to Hamburg's Bernhard-Nocht Institute, with results expected soon.
The governor of upper Austria Josef Pühringer said that all
arrangements had been made so that there would be no further
transmission of contagion, if it turns out that they have the deadly
virus.
"The risk that the two are actually suffering from
ebola is, however, classified by doctors as not very high," reassured
the Governor.
The Nigerians traveled via Dubai and arrived
at Vienna's Schwechat airport. On Tuesday they were in the isolation
ward of the regional hospital in Vöcklabruck.
The appropriate procedures were followed after consultation with the
Ministry of Health. A nurse practitioner, to whom the Nigerians had
turned, had contacted the district medical officer. They then carried
out a risk assessment in accordance with applicable national and
international guidelines.
Then both
patients were transported to the regional hospital in Vöcklabruck using
the "Infection Transport" of the Red Cross, where they have subsequently
been housed in a isolation room.
