A patient being kept in isolation at a Brampton hospital after showing flu-like symptoms similar to those associated with the deadly Ebola virus is improving, according to Ontario’s interim Chief Medical Officer of Health Graham Pollett.
Pollett told CP24 Saturday that the patient, who was admitted to Brampton Civic Hospital after recently returning from a trip to Nigeria, has undergone tests but has not yet been diagnosed.
“Watching the clinical progression of the patient, Ebola patients progress in a serious illness manner. This individual, from my understanding, is improving,” he said.
“While we think this is highly unlikely that this is an Ebola case, we are just wanting to confirm that with the laboratory tests.”
Samples of the patient's blood have been sent to National Microbiology Laboratory in Winnipeg and definitive test results are expected in the next 24 hours.
Ebola, a disease that can be contracted by humans and non-human primates, is spread by direct contact with blood or bodily fluids from an infected person.
The patient in Brampton is being kept in isolation as a precaution and Pollett said there is no risk to visitors or new patients coming into the hospital.
“All of the infection, prevention and control measures are put in place to ensure that no one would be put at risk other than those that are providing direct patient care,” he said.
For those that are providing patient care, Pollett said all of the appropriate occupational health and safety guidelines are being followed to protect hospital staff.
More than 900 people have died in the recent Ebola outbreak in West Africa but Pollett said the risk of it spreading to Canada is low.
“There is a heightened awareness so that anyone who has travelled, to particularly to West Africa, who presents with early flu-like symptoms is being recommended to be assessed,” he said.
“This happened and the appropriate measures have been put in place.”
