A British man died in Macedonia on Thursday, and the death might have been caused by the Ebola virus.
Macedonia is a country in the central Balkan peninsula in southeast Europe, having declared independence from Yugoslavia in 1991. It’s bordered by Greece, Albania, Serbia, and Bulgaria.
There was confusion after the unnamed Briton died, with a Macedonian health ministry spokesman saying that initially they received information that the man had been to Nigeria, but then a man told authorities that he and the victim hadn’t been anywhere.
“Medical authorities have informed us that up till now they cannot confirm whether the patient who died had Ebola. But as a precaution, based on the protocol of the World Health Organisation, medical authorities are taking all measures as if the patient had been suffering from a highly infectious disease,” a government spokesman told the Telegraph.
Sources in the government later said that the British man who died in Skopje had hemorrhagic fever but likely not to be Ebola.
Public Health England later added: "Public Health England is aware there are unconfirmed reports of a British national dying in Macedonia, who may have exhibited some symptoms compatible with Ebola.
“We understand Ebola to be unlikely as the cause of death but are will continue to work with partners to investigate.”
Meanwhile, European and other countries are weighing the risks of flights to and from West Africa.
“Of course we are all scared,”said cellphone worker Vijay Kumar, who was getting his temperature scanned Thursday at the airport in Casablanca, Morocco by medical crews in blue gowns and masks — one of dozens who relied on Royal Air Maroc’s continuing flights to West Africa.
But “we really appreciate their procedures, it’s a good system.”
He was finally heading home to Chennai, India, relieved that there were still flights operating, afterBritish Airways and Emirates suspended travel to the outbreak countries. Airlines from Morocco, France and Belgium are still flying in and out of West Africa, encouraged by the World Health Organization, because stopping would keep out needed aid workers and supplies — and wouldn’t necessarily halt the spread of the disease.
It can take up to 21 days before a person infected with Ebola starts to show symptoms that can be found in airport screening tests. During that period, an individual carrying Ebola can get a flight to anywhere in the world and fall ill later — as happened with a Liberian man who developed Ebola and died in the U.S. this week.
