Spanish Nurse Becomes First Person to Contract Ebola Outside West Africa

A nurse in Spain has become the first person to be infected with the Ebola virus outside West Africa.

The 40 -year- old nurse, whose identity has not been revealed, was part of a team at the Carlos III hospital in Madrid who had been treating Spanish priests Manuel Garcia Viejo and Miguel Pajares, officials said.

Manuel Garcia Viejo had contracted Ebola in Sierra Leone and was sent back to Spain. He was admitted to Madrid's Carlos III hospital where he died four days later on Sept. 25.

Officials said that the hospital had put Viejo in isolation and they also implemented strict measures to protect health workers and patients.

Antonio Alemany, head of Madrid's primary health care services said that the nurse had gone to Viejo's room only twice, before and after his death. 

In August, the nurse helped in treating Miguel Pajares who got the disease from Liberia. He was airlifted to Spain on August 7 and died five days later.

Shortly after Viejo's death on Sept. 25, the nurse went on a holiday but fell sick  four days later.

She was admitted to the Alcorcon hospital in Madrid on Sunday after being diagnosed with Ebola.

The nurse was transferred under police escort to the Carlos III hospital and is reported to be in a stable condition

"We have started studying all of the contacts the patient had since her symptoms began, including the health professionals who have been treating her," Alemany said.

 The nurse's husband was also being monitored for any symptoms, he added, reports Reuters.

Meanwhile, authorities are trying to find out how the nurse contracted Ebola as the hospital was equipped with very good protective gear including two sets of overalls, gloves and goggles.

But health workers said that the clothing used by the health workers while treating the two parents had level- two biological security instead of the required level-four. The clothing used in level four security is fully waterproof and also has an independent breathing apparatus.

The photographs provided by the staff show that the overalls worn at the time of the treatment did not allow ventilation. The gloves also were made of latex and bound with adhesive tape, reports BBC.