Newcastle children under examination for Ebola after return from Africa

Two children from Newcastle have been tested for the Ebola virus after their return from an as-yet unconfirmed country in Africa.

The results of their tests will not be known for 24 hours. The children have been placed in the Infectious Diseases Isolation Unit at the Royal Victoria Infirmary, where they are also  being tested for malaria.

The spokesperson for Public Health England (PHE) in the North East stated these tests were only precautionary, undertaken “due to uncertainty about where in Africa these children are from and when they arrived in the UK”.

According to PHE: “People who have been in contact with the children have been advised to continue as normal.”

WHO figures show over 5,000 deaths from Ebola in Sierra Leone, Liberia, Guinea and Nigeria since the beginning of the outbreak. 100 people so far have been tested for the virus in the UK, and all people returning from West African countries such as Sierra Leone have been screened.

The Royal Victoria Infirmary staff were trained to treat Ebola cases earlier this year, and the unit is one of three care institutes outside London to deal with Ebola cases.

Halimat Shode