LONDON Dec. 29 (People's Daily Online) —— The Scottish government has confirmed a case of Ebola in an individual, who travelled to Glasgow from Sierra Leone. The patient will be transferred for treatment in London.

The UK government said they are working closely with the Scottish government to ensure the patient receives the best possible treatment. The UK has well established and practiced Infection control procedures for dealing with cases of imported infectious disease.

The confirmed case of Ebola in Scotland was a healthcare worker returning from Sierra Leone. They had left Sierra Leone on 28 December and had been a passenger from Freetown to Casablanca, then fly to London, and transferred at Heathrow to Glasgow.

The risk of infection to other passengers on the flights is considered extremely low. However, Public Health England is arranging for all passengers and crew on the flight from Casablanca to Heathrow to be provided with health information and will be contacting and following up those passengers who were sitting near the affected passenger on these flights. Health Protection Scotland is carrying out a similar exercise for the passengers on the Heathrow to Glasgow flight.

Ebola is transmitted by direct contact with the bodily fluids, such as blood, vomit or faeces, of an infected person while they are symptomatic. Therefore, the risk of Ebola being passed from an individual before they developed symptoms is extremely low.

Professor Dame Sally Davies, Chief Medical Officer, said: “It is important to be reassured that although a case has been identified, the overall the risk to the public continues to be low.”

Professor Paul Cosford, Director for Health Protection and Medical Director at PHE, said: “For Ebola to be transmitted from one person to another contact with blood or other body fluids is needed. The individual involved did not experience any symptoms consistent with the transmission of Ebola, and as such, the risk that this infection will have been passed from the affected individual to others is extremely unlikely.”