Brazil reports first suspected Ebola case

The first patient suspected of being infected with Ebola has just been reported in Brazil. The 47-year-old arrived in the country on September 19 from Guinea, in Africa, following a connection in Morocco. On Thursday (Oct 9), the patient was hospitalized in the city of Cascavel,  in the southern state of Paraná. On Friday (10), in compliance with security procedures, the patient was relocated to the National Institute of Infectology, in Rio de Janeiro, famous for its Ebola treatment.

According to a note released Thursday (9) by the ministry, the patient declared he had run a fever on October 8 and 9. Until early in the evening yesterday, he showed a subfebrile temperature, and was not suffering from hemorrhage, vomiting, or any other symptoms. His overall state is good, and he has been kept in total isolation. As this is his 21st day in the country—the maximum incubation period for the illness—his case is still considered a suspected one, in accordance with international protocol.

The Republic of Guinea is one of the three African countries facing an outbreak of the Ebola.

The illness is transmitted through contact with blood, tissue or bodily fluids from sick individuals, or through contact with surfaces or contaminated objects.

Translated by Fabrício Ferreira