Patient admitted to Mater Dei tests negative for Ebola

A patient who was admitted to Mater Dei Hospital suffering from symptoms similar to the case definition of Ebola does not have the disease, tests have confirmed.

The Health Department said further tests confirmed the patient is suffering from Malaria and his is being monitored.

Sources confirmed that the man, a Senegalese who has been living and working in Malta for a number of years, flew in from Guinea and the emergency procedures kicked in as soon as the health authorities received report of his symptoms.

On Friday evening, the Health Authorities were informed of a person of African origin who had allegedly travelled from Senegal, and possibly Guinea, to Malta. He was suffering from fever. The man was hospitalised and tested during the night.

"As soon as a report was made an immediate response was initiated by the Health Authorities in accordance with the prepared protocols for cases of suspected Ebola. The person was transferred to Mater Dei Hospital as per infection control recommendations to the Infectious Disease Unit section which was set up to deal with such cases," the Health Department said.

Two rooms at Mater Dei Hospital's Infectious Disease Control Unit have been upgraded to deal with any suspected Ebola cases.

Contacts who were living with the person were assessed and found not to be suffering from any symptoms. As a precautionary measure they are still being kept in quarantine.

Meanwhile, all doctors in both the public and private sector, including all hospitals, have received a fact sheet on the procedures related to the disease.

Airports and ports have been instructed to notify Port Health Authorities about any sick persons, travelling by ship or by plane.

Last month, the Maltese authorities refused entry to a merchant vessel on suspicion that at least one person on board could have been infected by the Ebola virus. The sailor, a Filipino national, was taken in by the Italians who established that the man was suffering from hepatitis.

Case definition of Ebola according to World Health Organisation

Illness with onset of fever and no response to treatment for usual causes of fever in the area, and at least one of the following signs: bloody diarrhoea, bleeding from gums, bleeding into skin (purpura), bleeding into eyes and urine.