Dutch hospital RadboudUMC admits patient possibly infected with Ebola virus

The Radboud university medical center in Nijmegen admitted a patient on Thursday evening who is potentially infected with the Ebola virus, a spokesperson for both the hospital and Dutch public health institute RIVM confirmed to several media outlets on Friday. The patient's condition was not disclosed. For now, the issue is fully precautionary, as the chance of a suspected infection remains low, ANP reported.

Test results are expected on Saturday, though the incubation period between exposure to the Ebola virus and a positive test can take up to 24 days, according to the World Health Organization. It has not been disclosed if the individual is a Dutch citizen, if they reside in the Netherlands, nor if contact tracing was underway.

The patient's links to a current Ebola outbreak in Africa is being investigated. A spokesperson for the Ministry of Health referred questions to the RIVM and the hospital, Radboudumc, news wire ANP reported.

The teaching hospital admitted the patient into a ward specifically equipped for handling cases of serious infectious disease. The national center coordinating the handling of highly infectious diseases asked the hospital to keep the patient in the ward while the patient's infection status remains unknown.

There are currently 177 deaths suspected of being connected to the outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda, according to the World Health Organization. Suspected infections now stands close to 750, although the officially-confirmed total is 82, seven of whom have died.

The risk in the Democratic Republic of Congo is now "very high," WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus confirmed on Friday. The situation in Uganda is still considered "stable." Two people have tested positive for the Ebola infection in Uganda, and both had traveled to the DRC. One of the two has died.

It can take up to 21 days for someone infected with Ebola to exhibit symptoms, though this can also happen within 48 hours of exposure. Symptoms can develop suddenly, and include fever, fatigue, sore throat, muscle pain, malaise, and headache. The progression of the disease leads to vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhoea, rash, and loss of kidney and liver function.

"Despite a perception that bleeding is a common symptom, this is less frequent and can occur later in the disease. Some patients may develop internal and external bleeding, including blood in vomit and faeces, bleeding from the nose, gums and vagina," the WHO said. "The impact on the central nervous system can result in confusion, irritability and aggression."

Earlier this month, Radboudumc came under fire for the improper handling of blood samples and urine linked to a patient infected with the hantavirus. A total of 12 Radboudumc employees entered into a precautionary quarantine because the procedures used to handle the patient's blood and urine followed a standard protocol, instead of a stricter regime for highly contagious diseases.

Labor union NU'91 said half of them are nurses. The hospital has not confirmed the job titles of the 12 employees, citing personal privacy rules.

The patient was part of a medical evacuation from Cape Verde after they were exposed to the virus on the Hondius, a Dutch-flagged cruise ship. Three people died as part of the outbreak on the ship, including a married couple from Friesland.