Saudi Arabia Tests Blood Samples of Suspected Ebola Case

Riyadh (PNA/Xinhua) — Saudi health ministry announced on Tuesday it is testing blood samples of a man who is suspected of being infected with the epidemic Ebola virus after his recent trip to Sierra Leone.

The 40-year-old Saudi man showed symptoms of viral hemorrhagic fever Monday night at a hospital in Jeddah. He is in critical condition and has been moved to a care center with advanced isolation and infection-control capabilities, the ministry said.

Preliminary test in local lab showed negative for Dengue virus and additional tests are underway to determine the source of infection, the ministry explained, adding that it is also submitting samples for Ebola virus testing to an international reference lab at the recommendation of the World Health Organization.

Some viral hemorrhagic fevers are found in Saudi Arabia, but no confirmed case of Ebola virus has been detected in the Kingdom, the ministry clarified.

Saudi Arabia announced in April that it is not issuing visas for the 2014 Hajj and Umrah to pilgrims from Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea due to the outbreak of Ebola in these countries. Medical workers are monitoring travelers at airports and seaports across the Kingdom.

Saudi Arabia has suffered from rampant spread of the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus, and a total of 721 cases were registered since 2012, with 298 people dead because of the disease. The infection of the virus reduced drastically because of nation-wide efforts, as no new cases were registered for almost a month.

Ebola virus disease, formerly known as Ebola hemorrhagic fever, is a severe illness with a mortality rate up to 90 percent. (PNA/Xinhua) JBP/JSD

Image Credit: www.huffingtonpost.co.uk