A British national living in Sierra Leone has tested positive for Ebola. It is the first reported case of a Briton contracting the deadly virus during the recent outbreak. The Department of Health (DoH) said the overall risk to those in the UK "continues to be very low".
Some 1,427 people have died since Ebola began spreading in West Africa at what the World Health Organisation has described as an "unprecedented" rate. The number of cases in the region now stands at 2,615.
The virus, which is spread between humans through direct contact with infected blood, attacks internal organs and has no known cure. Symptoms include high fever, bleeding and central nervous system damage - and the fatality rate can be as high as 90%.
'Assessing situation'
Ivory Coast, the largest economy in francophone West Africa, had already imposed a ban on flights to and from Sierra Leone as well as Liberia and Guinea.
In a statement, the DoH said medical experts were "assessing the situation to ensure that appropriate care is delivered".
Consular assistance is being provided, the statement added.
Deputy chief medical officer Prof John Watson said: "The overall risk to the public in the UK continues to be very low.
"We have robust, well-developed and well-tested NHS systems for managing unusual infectious diseases when they arise, supported by a wide range of experts."
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