ACT Health Acting Chief Health Officer Dr Andrew Pengilley today confirmed that as a precautionary measure a person who recently returned from West Africa has been admitted into the dedicated Canberra Hospital isolation ward.

The precautionary admission was a result of ACT Health’s monitoring program following symptoms that developed this afternoon. This will allow the person to be medically assessed, including undergoing testing for the Ebola Virus.

The person, who worked as a medical professional in Liberia, has been undergoing monitoring since their return from overseas as required by ACT Health procedures. Due to the low number of cases in Liberia recently, the person did not treat any cases of Ebola.

Dr Pengilley said that ACT Health doesn’t take any chances when there are any changes to the health of people being monitored.

“What we do know is that a person who is being monitored by ACT Health has had minor changes in their health,” Dr Pengilley said.

“What we don’t know at this stage is what this means. They will be tested for Ebola, and until we receive a negative result we will be treating this incident as a worst-case scenario.

“In the very unlikely event the result is positive, risk to other members of the public would be extremely low. Ebola is transmitted by direct contact with body fluids, and people are mostly highly infectious when they have developed severe symptoms of disease.”

ACT Health will provide further media updates, including once the tests results are received. These results are expected to be provided within the next 24 hours.

There have been no cases of Ebola Virus Disease in Australia.

Ebola facts

• Only people that have been in direct contact with body fluids of people who are unwell with Ebola or infected animals are at risk of contracting the disease.
• Ebola is not infectious in people without symptoms of the disease, and therefore, well people pose no risk of infection to others.
• Ebola cannot be spread by casual social contact with a person during the incubation period.
• Canberra Hospital is equipped to deal with a suspected or confirmed case and is finalising comprehensive plans to ensure a high level of preparedness and response is available.

UPDATE: The first tests have come back negative.