Spanish nurse Teresa Romero's tests negative for Ebola
Health |
The nurse was the first person to have contracted the deadly Ebola virus outside West Africa.
A nurse, who was the first person to have contracted Ebola outside West Africa, has now tested negative for the deadly virus, a relative of the patient told journalists Sunday.
Nurse Teresa Romero had treated Ebola victims in Madrid and later on herself caught the virus.
Although the result suggests Romero no longer has the virus, a second test is needed in the next 48 hours to declare her completely Ebola free.
According to the health ministry sources, the nurse had tested positive for the virus on October 6 and was hospitalized at the Carlos III hospital in Madrid.
Teresa Mesa, a relative of the patient, told journalists that Romero had tested negative for the first time since getting infected by the disease.
The Ebola virus -- a potentially lethal disease with no known cure -- has already claimed nearly 4,500 lives in West Africa alone, prompting the world to increase screening and treatment measures after cases were reported in Europe and America.
Reports claim that out of 8,997 confirmed cases of Ebola -- which has a 50 percent fatality rate -- a total of 4,993 people have died.
The most-recent outbreak started in West Africa in March 2014 after spreading to Guinea's neighbors: Sierra Leone and Liberia.
Anadolu Agency
Nurse Teresa Romero had treated Ebola victims in Madrid and later on herself caught the virus.
Although the result suggests Romero no longer has the virus, a second test is needed in the next 48 hours to declare her completely Ebola free.
According to the health ministry sources, the nurse had tested positive for the virus on October 6 and was hospitalized at the Carlos III hospital in Madrid.
Teresa Mesa, a relative of the patient, told journalists that Romero had tested negative for the first time since getting infected by the disease.
The Ebola virus -- a potentially lethal disease with no known cure -- has already claimed nearly 4,500 lives in West Africa alone, prompting the world to increase screening and treatment measures after cases were reported in Europe and America.
Reports claim that out of 8,997 confirmed cases of Ebola -- which has a 50 percent fatality rate -- a total of 4,993 people have died.
The most-recent outbreak started in West Africa in March 2014 after spreading to Guinea's neighbors: Sierra Leone and Liberia.
Anadolu Agency
