A
Scottish nurse who contracted Ebola in Sierra Leone has been readmitted
to an isolation unit in London following an "unusual late
complication".
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde confirmed that the
virus is present in Pauline Cafferkey but said it was left over from the
original infection.
It is not thought to be contagious.
The
39-year-old, from Cambuslang, South Lanarkshire, has been flown back to
an isolation unit at the Royal Free Hospital in London.
Ms
Cafferkey spent almost a month in an isolation unit at the Royal Free
Hospital at the beginning of the year after contracting the virus in
December 2014.
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde said she had been
admitted to the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow on
Tuesday after feeling unwell and was treated in the infectious diseases
unit.
She was transferred from Glasgow to the Royal Free Hospital
in London in the early hours of the morning due to an unusual late
complication in her illness.
Low risk
Dr
Emilia Crighton, NHSGGC director of public health, said: "Pauline's
condition is a complication of a previous infection with the Ebola
virus.
"The
risk to the public is very low. In line with normal procedures in cases
such as this, we have identified a small number of close contacts of
Pauline's that we will be following up as a precaution."
Media captionJane Dreaper reports as Ebola nurse Pauline Cafferkey is readmitted to hospitalThere is not yet any information about Ms Cafferkey's
condition, but government sources described her transfer to the
specialist unit as a "highly precautionary process".
Ebola is passed on through bodily fluids. It is not transmitted through casual contact.
Last week Ms Cafferkey was in London receiving an award at the Pride of Britain ceremony.
Her award recognised the risks aid workers took with their own health.
There
are not thought to be any concerns about contact she had with people at
that event but health officials in Scotland are focusing on who she saw
since her return home.
Critically ill
Ms Cafferkey spoke to BBC News about the difficulties she had encountered in her recovery.
She had experienced thyroid problems and her hair had fallen out.
Ms
Cafferkey contracted Ebola while working as a volunteer with Save the
Children at a treatment centre in Kerry Town, in Sierra Leone.
She was diagnosed on 29 December last year, after returning to Glasgow via London. Image caption
Ms Cafferkey contracted Ebola while working as a volunteer in Sierra Leone last year
Her temperature had been tested seven times before
she flew from Heathrow to Glasgow and she was cleared to travel, before
later falling ill.
She was placed in an isolation unit at
Glasgow's Gartnavel Hospital after becoming feverish, before being
transferred by a RAF Hercules plane to London on 30 December.
She was then transferred to the specialist isolation unit at the Royal Free.
After
a few days Ms Cafferkey's condition began to deteriorate, with the
hospital announcing she had become critically ill on 4 January.
After
leaving hospital in January, Ms Cafferkey said she was "very happy to
be alive" and was looking forward to returning to "normal life". She
also said she had no plans to return to West Africa.
Asked if she
wanted to return to Sierra Leone, she said: "I would have to think
seriously about it. I am definitely going to give aid work a break for a
while.
"I just want to go back to my normal job, my normal life and I think my family will be happy with that as well."
Ebola virus disease (EVD)
Symptoms include high fever, bleeding and central nervous system damage
Spread by body fluids, such as blood and saliva
Fatality rate can reach 90% - but current outbreak has mortality rate of about 55%
Incubation period is two to 21 days
There is no proven vaccine or cure
Supportive care such as rehydrating patients who have diarrhoea and vomiting can help recovery
Fruit bats, a delicacy for some West Africans, are considered to be virus's natural host
At the time, Dr Michael Jacobs,
from the Royal Free's infectious diseases team, said Ms Cafferkey had
now completely recovered and was "not infectious in any way".
He
said Ms Cafferkey was treated with blood plasma from an Ebola survivor
and an experimental treatment drug closely related drug to ZMapp, which
UK nurse Will Pooley was treated with after he contracted Ebola.
Some survivors of the virus have had eye and joint problems, as well as ongoing fatigue.
The World Health Organisation admits not much is known about the long-term implications after having Ebola.
More than 11,000 people in West Africa died during this outbreak.
Last week there were no new cases for the first time since March 2014.
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