The HSE has dismissed Ebola in the case of a woman admitted to the Mater Hospital earlier today after displaying suspected symptoms of the virus.
A series of
tests were carried out on the woman, who had recently travelled from Africa, at the National Isolation Unit in Dublin's Mater Hospital.
The woman was taken from The Plaza apartment complex in Tyrrelstown by ambulance as a precaution and was understood to be at a low risk of having contracted the virus.
In a statement the HSE confirmed that: "There are no known cases of Ebola in Ireland presently. The overall risk of a case of Ebola being brought into in Ireland is low".
The HSE statement in full reads:
"A patient was been taken to the Mater hospital displaying certain symptoms that require further testing at that hospital. The patient was considered a low risk for the Ebola Virus but this has now been ruled out. The HSE must, and does, take each Ebola scenario seriously no matter how low the risk. All appropriate infection control procedures are being taken by all relevant healthcare personnel.
"The patient is receiving appropriate treatment at the Mater Hospital. HSE public health protocols have been, and are being put in place.
"There are no known cases of Ebola in Ireland presently. The overall risk of a case of Ebola being brought into in Ireland is low. The HSE welcomes the fact that the WHO has removed Nigeria from the list of Ebola affected countries. If a case is confirmed in Ireland, the primary concerns will be treatment of the patient and containing the situation. An important concern is maintaining medical confidentiality, and supporting the patient's family and identifying any possible contacts. Should any case of Ebola Virus be confirmed in Ireland, a statement will issue. This statement would be released in the event that a diagnosis is confirmed and necessary controls have been put in place. In the meantime, the HSE has an overriding responsibility to protect the confidentiality of any patients presenting with symptoms that are similar to those of Ebola and is obliged not to comment on individual cases".
