Swedish 'Ebola' patient not infected with virus

A patient isolated for treatment at Sweden's Uppsala University Hospital for suspected Ebola is not infected with the virus, local authorities said on Friday, citing medical tests. 

The patient was transferred to the hospital on Friday after showed classic symptoms of the deadly haemorrhagic disease.

Medical director for Uppsala Region Mikael Kohler said before the test results that the patient arrived "throwing up blood and had bloody stools," which can be symptomatic of Ebola. The man's condition was "serious, but stable," Kohler added.

Medical staff isolated

The case was initially detected at a hospital in the town of Enkoping, where the emergency room was closed down. Staff and others who came into contact with the patient have been isolated and are receiving treatment.

The patient arrived back in Sweden following a trip to Burundi three weeks ago and current symptoms began to appear Friday morning. He wasn't known to have visited an area affected by Ebola.

Sweden currently has one specialized isolation unit with the capacity to treat patients with diseases like Ebola. It is located at Linkoping University Hospital, approximately 200 kilometers (120 miles) southwest of the capital Stockholm.

Read more: Ebola virus spreads to babies in DRC outbreak

Ebola: still no known cure

There is no known cure for Ebola, although infected patients have been known to recover from the disease. Health practitioners usually isolate suspected victims in order to contain the spread and encourage prevention measures, such as regular hand-washing with soap and water. There is, however, a recently released vaccine currently being rolled out in affected areas of Africa.

The disease was first discovered in 1976 when two separate outbreaks were recorded in former Zaire, close to the Ebola River. It originates from the consumption of fruit bat, a delicacy in parts of West Africa.

The virus has claimed the lives of at least 1,200 people since its first recording. Symptoms include vomiting, diarrhea and external bleeding.

rh/rt (AP, AFP, Reuters)

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