False alarm ebola scare sees UK hospital 'partially locked down'
A UK hospital was partially locked down on Tuesday evening after a patient was suspected of having Ebola before testing negative for the disease.
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The Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in the Scottish city was partially locked down over the suspected case of the deadly virus.
The patient was rapidly tested for the illness while precautions were taken, before the results came back negative.
Public Health Scotland said on Tuesday: "Public Health Scotland (PHS) is aware that an individual in Scotland was tested for Ebola as a precautionary measure.
"The test result has now been received and is negative.
"PHS and NHS boards across Scotland have well-established protocols for assessing and testing travellers arriving in the UK from areas affected by Ebola where necessary. Where required, contact tracing will occur and contacts may undergo clinical assessment and precautionary testing.
"It is rare for Ebola cases to occur in returning travellers, but NHS Scotland has safe procedures in place for detecting and managing any such cases. As such, the risk to the general public remains low. "
The false alarm comes after the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared the latest outbreak of the disease a public health emergency of international concern.
Read More: At least 30 deaths at Congo camp suggest Ebola could be spreading fast
There have been almost 700 confirmed cases of bundibugyo Ebola virus, the majority of which are in the Democratic Republic of Congo
Some 138 people have died, including two in neighbouring Uganda.
If confirmed it would be the first case in the UK since the outbreak in the DRC was declared a public health emergency of international concern by the World Health Organisation (WHO).
The UK has committed up to £21 million to support the local response to Ebola in DRC, helping to protect frontline workers and vulnerable communities.