Source : Perth Now news
A man in Victoria has been cleared of the Ebola virus, health authorities have confirmed, as the state’s response to a potential case of the deadly disease passed its first test.
The man presented to Monash Medical Centre’s emergency department on Tuesday with symptoms similar to Ebola before he was transported to Royal Melbourne Hospital.
He had recently returned from an area near the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Uganda, where health authorities are grappling with a major outbreak.
The man was placed in a negative pressure ventilation room and on Wednesday he was discharged after he was cleared of infection.
“Victoria’s health system has clear, well‑established protocols to manage serious infectious diseases including rapid identification, isolation, testing, and specialist care when required,” Victoria’s chief health officer Dr Caroline McElnay said.
“While the risk of Ebola disease in Victoria is low, it is a serious illness, and our health system has responded appropriately to a recent low-probability suspected case.”
The man was considered a low probability case but hospitals must follow strict infection prevention and control measures.
The incident represented the state’s first test of its response plan which was put in place following the major outbreak of the virus in the DRC and Uganda.
On Friday, Dr McElnay issued an advisory for clinicians to be aware of the symptoms of Ebola.
Dr Elnay said that clinicians should consider whether a patient has Ebola if they have a fever above 38C and have visited an area affected by an outbreak or have had contact with someone with the virus.
The risk of an Ebola outbreak in Australia is very low, Dr Elnay said.
On Friday, the World Health Authority said that in the DRC there had been 906 suspected cases and 223 deaths.
There had been a further 134 confirmed cases in both countries, including 18 deaths.
Symptoms of the virus include fever, muscle and joint pain, headaches, vomiting, diarrhoea,
abdominal pain and reduced kidney and liver functioning.
Symptoms can emerge from two to 21 days after exposure.
