Hospital officials at the Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital were reportedly holding an African teenager in isolation pending the results of Ebola blood tests that would confirm whether or not the 18-year-old had the disease.
Chief health officer for Queensland, Dr. Jeannette Young, said that the teen and other members of her family were isolated inside their home since arriving in Australia from West Africa several days earlier. Local health officials were already keeping the family, who had migrated from Guinea, under close observation before a special team of paramedics took the teenage girl to the hospital after her temperature reportedly spiked. Doctors will be conducting a second test today to verify the presence of the Ebola virus. Meanwhile, the other members of her family, including six children and two adults, reportedly remain asymptomatic.
In an official statement from the hospital, Dr. Young said that, "It's unlikely she has the disease because she doesn't remember coming into contact with anyone with the Ebola virus."
The chief health officer also added that there are three other families who traveled from West Africa that are being monitored in Queensland. She said that authorities are taking all the necessary precautions to monitor the disease, and this includes taking the necessary steps to observe returning health workers.
"Although what is going on in West Africa is certainly a tragic circumstance, we have to remember that here in Australia the risk of getting the Ebola virus is extraordinarily low," Dr. Young said. To address the rising public concern regarding the potential spread of the disease within the country, she emphasized that Ebola could only be spread through direct contact with the bodily secretions of a person that is already infected with the virus. National and local health authorities are also being vigilant with screening and testing procedures to make sure that the virus is contained. Dr. Young also added that the Australian Government is well prepared for Ebola cases that may turn up.