海角大神

A聽Spanish聽nurse聽has become the first person to contract聽Ebola outside of聽Africa, casting doubt over measures taken in聽Spain聽to control the potential spread of the deadly disease.

The nurse had helped to treat two priests who contracted Ebola in Africa and were repatriated to Spain. Some 30 other health workers and those who came in contact with her are now being monitored for symptoms.聽

Both priests died shortly after reaching聽Spain. Each had worked in聽West Africa, where an epidemic of聽Ebola聽has spread through聽Guinea,聽Sierra Leone,聽and聽Liberia聽since March, killing more than 3,400 people in the largest outbreak of the disease in history. Cases have also reached聽Senegal聽and聽Nigeria.

Spanish聽officials said they still had to find out how the聽nurse, who was not named but identified as married with no children, contracted the viral infection, which causes fever and bleeding.

"At the moment we are investigating the way in which the professional was infected,"聽Antonio Alemany, the head of Madrid's primary health care services told a news conference.

Ana Mato, told reporters that offal swear trying to determine if there had been any lapses in health safety protocols, according to The New York Times.

The聽nurse聽was one of a specialist team who treated elderly priest聽Manuel Garcia Viejo聽at the Madrid hospital Carlos III聽when he was repatriated from聽Sierra Leone聽with聽Ebola聽on Sept 21. He died four days later.

Garcia Viejo was kept in isolation during his treatment last month and officials said they followed a聽strict protocol聽designed to protect health workers and patients at the hospital.

The聽nurse聽who has since fallen ill only entered Garcia Viejo's room twice, once after his death, Alemany said.

Health authorities said she had also helped treat Miguel Pajares, who had been working in Liberia聽when he came down with the disease. He was airlifted back to聽Spain聽on Aug 7 and died five days later.

On Holiday

The聽Spanish聽nurse聽went on holiday immediately after Garcia's death on Sept 25 and began feeling sick on Sept 30, said Alemany. He did not say where the聽nurse聽went on holiday.

"We have started studying all of the contacts the patient had since her symptoms began, including the health professionals who have been treating her," Alemany said. The聽nurse's husband was also being monitored, he said.

Scientists tracking the聽Ebola聽epidemic in聽West Africa聽and analyzing air traffic data have predicted a high risk of a case being imported unwittingly into聽Europe聽before the end of this month.

The first聽Ebola聽case to be diagnosed in the聽United States聽was identified last week in a man fromLiberia, who US health officials say is now in a critical condition.

The聽Geneva鈥揵ased WHO said it was notified of the聽Spanish聽case at around 1900 GMT on Monday.

"This was a preliminary notification and聽Spain聽is doing an intensive investigation into the mode of transmission and into the contacts of the聽nurse," a WHO spokeswoman said.

Patients are at their most contagious when聽Ebola聽is in its terminal stages, inducing both internal and external bleeding, and profuse vomiting and diarrhea 鈥� all of which contain high concentrations of infectious virus.

But the disease can also have a long incubation period 鈥� up to 21 days 鈥� meaning that people can be unaware for weeks that they are infected, and not feel or display any symptoms.

Virologist聽Benjamin Neuman聽of the Britain's University of Reading said health workers always face risks handling聽Ebola聽patients regardless of whether they used protective equipment.

"Nurses face a problem in that a person who is sick with聽Ebola聽can make quite a lot of highly infectious waste, as the patient loses fluid through diarrhea and vomiting," he said.

"Those bodily fluids can contain millions of聽Ebola聽viruses, and it only takes one to transfer the infection."

The聽nurse, who was initially treated for fever symptoms at the聽hospital of Alcorcon, in the outskirts of Madrid, was due to be transferred later on Monday to the聽Madrid hospital Carlos III where Garcia Viejo was treated.

She is in a stable condition, health officials said.聽