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Ebola: Key symptoms of virus amid London hospital scare as fastest-growing outbreak kills 1,000 people

Thousands of people have been infected with Ebola since the current outbreak began in DR Congo - and one patient in Britain has been isolated amid fears the virus might have entered the UK

More than 1,000 people have died amid a fast-growing Ebola outbreak with a London hospital fearing a case in the capital - these are the key symptoms to look out for.

A UK resident is in isolation in the hospital here having returned from work in DR Congo, where the outbreak has originated. They were supporting families in the African nation when the virus began to spread this week, it is understood.

But the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said the patient has not, as yet, been diagnosed with Ebola. As doctors continue to take precautions, we at the Mirror delve into Ebola's key symptoms, the outbreak in DR Congo and the situation in London.

[A photo of a doctor treating a patient in DR Congo]

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Doctors have helped patients with the Ebola virus in DR Congo(Image: AFP via Getty Images)

What are key Ebola symptoms?

[A photo of people wearing PPE in DR Congo]

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The latest outbreak has spread within DR Congo (Image: AFP via Getty Images)

Ebola is a rare, but serious infection that is typically found in parts of Africa. It is even more rare outside the continent and there are no confirmed cases in the UK and the risk to the public remains low.

Ebola is a virus caught from wild animals and spreads from person to person when you touch infected body fluids. It has never been spread person to person in the UK.

Symptoms can start between two to 21 days following infection and can appear as a flu-like illness, such as with a high temperature, extreme tiredness and a headache. According to the NHS, other symptoms include;

• Being sick
• Diarrhoea and tummy pain
• A skin rash
• Yellowing of the skin and eyes
• Blood in your poo
• Lots of bruises all over your body
• Bleeding from your ears, eyes, nose or mouth
• Muscle pain
• Sore throat
• Blood in vomit or poo
• Bleeding from nose, gums or vagina

Fastest-growing Ebola outbreak

[An image of the Ebola virus ]

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Ebola can be fatal in some cases (Image: Getty Images/Science Photo Library RF)

There are more than 2,000 cases in one province of DR Congo alone. Suspected cases were also found to have emerged in two more provinces, including around Kisangani, one of the country's largest cities, raising fresh fears over how far the virus has spread.

The World Health Organisation said 80 per cent of new cases were linked to unknown chains of transmission, meaning health officials were unable to trace where most new infections were coming from, making it significantly harder to isolate cases and slow the spread of the virus.

The outbreak is being driven by the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola - a form of the virus for which there are no currently approved vaccines or treatments. Unlike other strains, health officials have fewer tools available to tackle its spread.

Feared Ebola case in London

[A photo of a man wearing PPE]

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One UK resident is in isolation after they were in DR Congo(Image: AP Photo/Dirole Lotsima Dieudonn)

The UK resident who is being isolated at a London hospital had been working with an organisation supporting the Ebola outbreak response in DR Congo. The person in question was evacuated on a flight chartered solely for this purpose.

They are now being assessed and monitored in isolation by infectious disease specialists at a London hospital. Richard Pebody, director for epidemic and emerging infections at UKHSA, said: "The risk to the general public remains low. This individual has been transferred out of an abundance of caution, and were pleased they remain well."

The last time an Ebola case was reported in the UK was back in 2015, which was associated with the 2014 to 2016 outbreak in west Africa. Outside of DR Congo, 20 cases have been identified in Uganda and one in France. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), two people died as a result of the virus in Uganda.

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