A Spanish nurse tending to an Ebola victim in a hospital in Madrid has tested positive for the virus. The case is suspected to be the first transmission of the disease outside of West Africa.
Spain Health Minister Ana Mato confirmed on Monday that the Spanish nurse, whose name was not disclosed, was part of the team that took care of Spanish priest Manuel Garcia Viejo. The 69-year-old priest died on Sept. 27 because of highly advanced symptoms of the disease.
The woman started feeling ill last week during the holiday, and was admitted to a hospital in Alcorcon due to a high fever. After two tests that both came up positive, doctors immediately placed her in an isolation unit to prevent further spread of the virus, BBC News reported.
Health authorities are working to locate the rest of the medical team that took care of the Spanish priest, according to the New York Times. There are 29 more nurses and doctors who were part of the team.
Meanwhile, the officials are now investigating how the 44-year-old nurse got infected with the disease, even after following the necessary protocols while treating the Spanish priest at Madrid's Carlos III hospital. The same hospital monitored another Spanish priest, Miguel Pajares, who also died in the special unit on Aug. 12, the Wall Street Journal reported. The medical team wore coveralls, two pairs of gloves and goggles before entering the special unit.
Ebola is transmitted through contact with the bodily fluids of an infected individual. There is no cure yet for the disease, so the only way to prevent spreading it is through immediate isolation. According to the World Health Organization, there are about 7,500 confirmed cases worldwide, and some 3,400 fatalities, although the actual figures could be higher. Liberia, Sierra Leone and Nigeria remain to be the hardest hit countries in the West African region.
