Ebola Nurse Is From Fife

It's emerged a nurse who tested positive for Ebola in Glasgow is originally from Cowdenbeath.

Pauline Cafferkey had just returned to Scotland from Sierra Leone where she had been working with charity Save The Children.

She has been a nurse for 16 years, and normally works at a health centre in Blantyre, South Lanarkshire.

Miss Cafferkey flew into Glasgow late on Sunday night, but was admitted to hospital in the early hours of yesterday morning after falling ill.

She's the second Briton to test positive for ebola, and the first to be diagnosed in the UK. Earlier this year another British nurse contracted the virus in Sierra Leone and was brought to the Royal Free Hospital in London where he was later given the all clear.

Earlier today MIss Cafferkey was transferred by military plane to the same hospital, where she's in a stable condition and receiving specialist care.

She had travelled via Casablanca and Heathrow and officials are now contacting other passengers on the flights she took - but there are no plans to test them unless they're showing symptoms of the illness.

They're also investigating all other possible contacts with the patient and anyone deemed to be at risk will be contacted and closely monitored. Doctors say, having been diagnosed in the very early stages of the illness, the risk to others is considered extremely low.

A second healthcare worker in undergoing tests in Aberdeen. She was transferred to the city's Royal Infirmary after going to a hospital in the Highlands because she felt unwell.

The woman had recently returned from West Africa and was staying at a youth hostel in Torridon.

Officials are stressing there's very little risk as she's not known to have had any direct contact with anyone who had ebola.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon chaired a meeting of the Scottish Government Resilience Committee earlier to discuss the developments.

Afterwards she said:  “Our thoughts remain with the patient diagnosed with Ebola and I wish her a speedy and full recovery.

“We have robust measures in place to deal with a situation like this. Scotland’s NHS has proved it is well able to cope with infectious diseases in the past, such as swine flu. In treating the patient effectively, and then ensuring a smooth transfer to the Royal Free London, our NHS has again risen to the considerable challenge. I want to thank all involved in Scotland and England for their considerable efforts so far.

“Health Protection Scotland are continuing to trace and contact people who were on the Heathrow to Glasgow flight on Sunday evening. Many of those people have already been contacted and, while that’s been done very much on a precautionary basis, it is important we ensure we have taken all necessary steps as a result of this confirmed case.

“I am also being kept fully informed about the precautionary steps being taken by NHS Highland and NHS Grampian around a case of a returning healthcare worker who had been visiting Torridon. This patient is a ‘low probability’ case, who returned to the UK separately to the confirmed case and is believed to have had no contact with infected patients. However we are taking all necessary precautions and following agreed protocols."

A telephone helpline has been set up for anyone who was on the BA Flight 1478 from Heathrow to Glasgow on Sunday night.

The number is: 08000 858531.