Turkish worker employed in Africa rushed to Istanbul hospital on Ebola suspicion

ADAPAZARI

The 46-year-old man was transferred to Haseki Hospital in Istanbul using a specially equipped ambulance. DHA Photo

A Turkish worker employed in Nigeria was rushed to an Istanbul hospital Oct. 8 on suspicion of Ebola, after showing signs of a high fever and diarrhea. The incident comes amid concerns regarding the spread of the pandemic in Europe, with a number of new cases detected in Spain.

The 46-year-old man, whose identity has not been disclosed, returned to Turkey 10 days ago from Africa to see his family in the western province of Sakarya during the Feast of the Sacrifice holiday.

Medical sources said he went to a private hospital four days ago in Adapazarı, but his fever did not drop despite medical treatment. Following medical examinations, doctors informed the Health Ministry that he may be showing symptoms of Ebola.

He was then transferred to Haseki Hospital in Istanbul using a specially equipped ambulance.

The incident is the second case of a suspected Ebola patient in Turkey, after a Nigerian woman who transited through Istanbul’s Atatürk Airport while traveling from Lagos to Barcelona was rushed to hospital in mid-August.

The woman was later diagnosed with malaria and was allowed to leave Turkey. The outbreak has killed over 3,300 people in West Africa and millions have been taken under quarantine in affected countries such as Liberia, Sierra Leone and Nigeria. The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that without drastic action, the epidemic might spread and triple the cases in the African continent, increasing the risk of a global pandemic.