British Foreign Minister Philip Hammond said on Wednesday (July 30) he would hold a top-level government meeting to discuss the outbreak of the highly-infectious Ebola virus across West Africa which he warned posed a threat to Britain.
"Well, we look at any emerging threats around the world that potentially have implications for the UK. Clearly this outbreak of this virus is a cause for concern. There may be British nationals in the area, we know that there's a lot of people travel from West Africa to the UK and vice versa, so it's sensible for us to meet together, to listen to what the experts have to say, to listen to their advice and then decide among ministerial colleagues what action, if any, we need to take," Hammond said.
Hammond is set to chair an emergency Cobra meeting of officials on Wednesday to look at what precautions were needed.
Ebola is believed to have killed 672 people in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone since the outbreak began in February, according to the World Health Organization.
Hammond said no British citizens were believed to be affected and no cases had been reported in Britain.
"I'm not aware that we've got any confirmed cases in the UK at the moment, but at the meeting today we will hear the latest reports from the experts, from Public Health England and other bodies, from the Chief Scientific Advisor. We'll consider all the evidence and make appropriate recommendations for action if we feel it's necessary," he said.
"I don't think there's any need for serious concern in the UK at the moment, but we've got to think about British nationals abroad as well as people at home here in the UK. The message I want to send out is that by meeting to look at the issues, to evaluate the evidence, we are acting early to make sure we put in place any necessary precautionary measures to keep the UK safe," he added.
The doctor leading Sierra Leone's fight against the worst Ebola outbreak on record died from the virus on Tuesday (July 29), the country's chief medical officer said.
The death of Sheik Umar Khan, who was credited with treating more than 100 patients, follows those of dozens of local health workers and the infection of two American medics in neighboring Liberia, highlighting the dangers faced by staff trying to halt the disease's spread across West Africa.
The contagious disease, which has no known cure, has symptoms that include vomiting, diarrhea and internal and external bleeding. The fatality rate of the current outbreak is around 60 percent although Ebola can kill up to 90 percent of those who catch it.
REUTERS