NHS warns staff to ‘prepare for Ebola outbreak in the UK’ as eye-bleeding disease kills hundreds in Africa: ‘Stock up on PPE and isolate patients ASAP’

NHS staff have been told to prepare for potential Ebola cases reaching the UK amid a fast-growing outbreak of the deadly virus in Africa. 

In updated guidance, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has urged hospitals, GPs and frontline services to ensure they are ready to rapidly identify and isolate suspected patients, warning that while the risk to Britain remains low, imported cases are possible.

Healthcare providers have been instructed to check they have adequate supplies of personal protective equipment (PPE) and ensure staff are trained in its use, alongside clear protocols for managing suspected cases.

Clinicians are being reminded to consider Ebola in any patient who is acutely unwell with a fever and has travelled from affected regions within the past 21 days, reflecting the virus’s incubation period. 

Under the guidance, suspected cases must be treated urgently, with patients isolated immediately in a single room and assessed by staff using appropriate protective measures.

Strict infection control procedures are required, and cases must be escalated rapidly to specialist public health teams, as Ebola is a notifiable disease in the UK.

The warning comes as an outbreak of the rare Bundibugyo strain of Ebola continues to spread in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and neighbouring Uganda, after being declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern by the World Health Organisation in May. 

The latest figures suggest there have been hundreds of suspected cases and dozens of confirmed deaths, with numbers continuing to rise as testing and surveillance improve. 

Health officials say the true scale of the outbreak may be higher, with more suspected cases still under investigation.

Ebola is a severe viral haemorrhagic fever that can cause organ failure and internal bleeding, and in advanced stages, patients may bleed from the eyes, nose and other parts of the body.

Symptoms can begin suddenly between two and 21 days after infection, initially resembling flu with fever, fatigue, muscle pain and headache, before progressing to vomiting, diarrhoea and, in severe cases, bleeding. 

The virus spreads through direct contact with infected bodily fluids, including blood, vomit and saliva, and is not airborne, meaning transmission requires close physical contact. 

Only people who are already symptomatic can pass the infection on.

Fatality rates vary between outbreaks, but can reach around 30 to 50 per cent for the Bundibugyo strain, making it one of the most dangerous infectious diseases in the world. 

Particular concern surrounds the current outbreak because there is no approved vaccine or specific treatment for this strain, with control efforts relying on early detection, isolation, contact tracing and strict hygiene measures. 

Despite the stark warning to NHS staff, officials stress that the risk to the UK public is very low.

The UKHSA says Ebola remains rare in travellers and that the NHS has specialist high-containment units and established procedures to safely manage any imported cases. 

However, health authorities say vigilance is essential in an increasingly interconnected world, particularly as international travel raises the possibility of infections crossing borders.

Doctors are also being reminded that while Ebola must be considered in at-risk patients, more common illnesses such as malaria should be ruled out urgently.

The guidance underlines that preparedness, speed and strict infection control will be critical if any case does arrive in Britain, with staff told to act fast, isolate early and protect themselves to prevent any potential spread.