After a nurse from Spain was evacuated back into the country after being infected with the Ebola virus while on a medical mission to West Africa, Spanish authorities are now assaying that they are keeping about 50 individuals under close observation for possible exposure.
So far, four people have already been placed in quarantine at the hospital in Madrid where nurse Teresa Romero is being held in isolation, including her husband and three other people. Reportedly, Romero was part of a team that was treating to infected missionaries from West Africa in the Spanish hospital where she works. She is now the first Ebola patient in Europe diagnosed outside of West Africa. At the moment, authorities are investigating how Romero contracted the virus despite precautionary measures employed at the hospital. A spokesperson for the facility said, "We don't know yet what failed. We are investigating the mechanism of infection." Health workers are now blaming substandard protective gear and equipment for the incident.
Health authorities in Spain have already confirmed that they are keeping an eye on another 50 people go may have been exposed to the virus after coming in contact with Romero. Meanwhile, a court order has been released saying that the patient's dog has to be put down as part of the precautionary measures being implemented to keep the spread of the disease under control.
After the incident, an advisor from the World Health Organization came forward and issued a warning about the risks that treating an Ebola patient could pose to health workers. Apparently, the disease can still spread and infect them even in high-level isolation units that are being used in Western Hospital. "The smallest mistake can be fatal," he added. The Ebola virus can be spread if a person comes in contact with an infected patient's body fluids including sweat, saliva, and blood.