Saudi Arabia said today it is testing a man for the Ebola virus after he showed symptoms of the viral hemorrhagic fever after a trip to Sierra Leona, The Associated Press reports.
The symptoms appeared in a 40-year-old Saudi man at a hospital in Jiddah, a western city, the Health Ministry told the AP. The man is being treated in a unit with advanced isolation and infection-control capabilities where AP says he is in critical condition.
According to the ministry, no case of Ebola has ever been detected in the kingdom, though different types of viral hemorrhagic fevers have been found before, AP states.
The ministry said while the cause of the Saudi man's sickness is unknown, Ebola cannot be ruled out, given his travel history. The man has tested negative for dengue fever and tests are underway for other viruses, AP stated.
AP says the ministry submitted samples to test for Ebola on the advice of the World Health Organization.
Dr. Khalid al-Marghalani, spokesman for the Health Ministry, told AP that the man arrived in Saudi Arabia on Sunday night from Sierra Leone. He also said officials are looking into his flight details, including the passenger list, and what relatives or people he may have been in contact with since getting back to the kingdom, AP reported.
According to AP, Saudi Arabia said earlier this year it would not issue visas for religious pilgrims from Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea because of Ebola concerns. The kingdom has been the epicenter of infections for the Middle East Respiratory Virus - another frequently fatal disease.
Just today, a second American infected with Ebola arrived in U.S. Nancy Writebol will join Kent Brantly, a second American infected, and will receive treatment in Atlanta's Emory University Hospital. Both are American aid workers and were treating Ebola patients in West Africa.
