Patient previously in West Africa admitted to St. Catharines hospital

An individual, who travelled from West Africa where there’s an outbreak of Ebola, has been admitted to a St. Catharines hospital with flu-like symptoms.

Few details were disclosed about the patient but the individual is currently stable and being monitored, spokesman Brady Wood of the Niagara Health Systems said in a release Tuesday.

“On the whole, our analysis indicates this situation is very low-risk,” chief of staff Dr. Tom Stewart said. “That said we are taking every precaution and isolating the patient per the best practice protocols, with advice from infectious disease experts and public health.”

He also said the health ministry, Public Health Ontario among other agencies have done a “great deal to prepare all hospitals,” and the organization has been testing protocols and facilities as well as running scenarios for the last few weeks in preparation for a potential Ebola situation.

“The situation here is different than in West Africa because of our infrastructure,” Dr. Stewart said. “We have a brand-new facility with negative pressure rooms and isolation abilities, and well-trained and well-prepared staff. Our goal in this case is to ensure this individual receives great care while protecting our staff and the public.”

The Ebola outbreak in Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Nigeria has killed more than 1,500 people, according to the World Health Organization.

Dr. Stewart said he will keep the public updated and has asked staff and the public to remain calm “and to be extremely vigilant in terms of hand hygiene at our sites.”

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