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| Ebola caused meningitis in nurse Pauline Cafferkey | Ebola caused meningitis in nurse Pauline Cafferkey |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| A Scottish nurse who contracted Ebola while working in West Africa is recovering well after the virus caused her to develop meningitis. | A Scottish nurse who contracted Ebola while working in West Africa is recovering well after the virus caused her to develop meningitis. |
| Pauline Cafferkey, 39, was readmitted to an isolation unit at the Royal Free Hospital in London earlier this month after suffering an apparent relapse. | Pauline Cafferkey, 39, was readmitted to an isolation unit at the Royal Free Hospital in London earlier this month after suffering an apparent relapse. |
| Health officials confirmed she had been diagnosed with meningitis caused by Ebola and had a "long recovery ahead". | Health officials confirmed she had been diagnosed with meningitis caused by Ebola and had a "long recovery ahead". |
| Ms Cafferkey, from South Lanarkshire, contracted Ebola in Sierra Leone. | Ms Cafferkey, from South Lanarkshire, contracted Ebola in Sierra Leone. |
| Dr Michael Jacobs, who is treating Ms Cafferkey at the Royal Free Hospital in London, said: "Pauline has become unwell by meningitis caused by the Ebola virus. | Dr Michael Jacobs, who is treating Ms Cafferkey at the Royal Free Hospital in London, said: "Pauline has become unwell by meningitis caused by the Ebola virus. |
| "But to be very clear about this, she hasn't been re-infected with the Ebola virus. | "But to be very clear about this, she hasn't been re-infected with the Ebola virus. |
| "This is the original Ebola virus that she had many months ago, which has been lying inside the brain, replicating at a very low level probably, and has now re-emerged to cause this clinical illness of meningitis. And this is obviously a serious thing." | "This is the original Ebola virus that she had many months ago, which has been lying inside the brain, replicating at a very low level probably, and has now re-emerged to cause this clinical illness of meningitis. And this is obviously a serious thing." |
| Dr Jacobs said Ms Cafferkey had "became critically ill due to neurological complications from the meningitis" while being treated at the specialist isolation unit at the Royal Free Hospital. | Dr Jacobs said Ms Cafferkey had "became critically ill due to neurological complications from the meningitis" while being treated at the specialist isolation unit at the Royal Free Hospital. |
| He added: "I'm really pleased to tell you that in the last few days she's made a significant improvement. She is much better now. | He added: "I'm really pleased to tell you that in the last few days she's made a significant improvement. She is much better now. |
| "I think she has a long recovery ahead of her and will be with us for quite a while still." | "I think she has a long recovery ahead of her and will be with us for quite a while still." |
| Analysis | |
| By James Gallagher, health editor, BBC News website | |
| Unprecedented, extraordinary and unusual - the words used by doctors treating Pauline Cafferkey. | |
| Meningitis has been seen in Ebola patients in West Africa during this outbreak, but only at the height of their initial infection. | |
| This is completely different. | |
| The virus has resurged months later and has been contained to just her brain and spinal cord. | |
| Due to the lack of resources in the affected countries we simply do not know if this has happened to any of the 17,000 Ebola survivors in West Africa. | |
| The World Health Organization says meningitis should be "on the radar" for survivors, alongside eyesight problems and joint pains. | |
| While the virus was briefly detected in Ms Cafferkey's blood, the risk of anyone spreading the infection after recovery is thought to be very low. | |
| Ms Cafferkey, who is from Halfway, Cambuslang, contracted Ebola while working at a treatment centre in Sierra Leone last year. | Ms Cafferkey, who is from Halfway, Cambuslang, contracted Ebola while working at a treatment centre in Sierra Leone last year. |
| The nurse spent almost a month in isolation at the Royal Free at the beginning of the year after the virus was detected when she arrived back in the UK. | |
| She was later discharged after apparently making a full recovery and returned to work as a public health nurse at Blantyre Health Centre in South Lanarkshire. | She was later discharged after apparently making a full recovery and returned to work as a public health nurse at Blantyre Health Centre in South Lanarkshire. |
| However, she became unwell earlier this month and was admitted to the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow for treatment. | However, she became unwell earlier this month and was admitted to the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow for treatment. |
| On 9 October, she was flown from Glasgow to London in a military aircraft to receive treatment in the isolation unit at the Royal Free Hospital. | On 9 October, she was flown from Glasgow to London in a military aircraft to receive treatment in the isolation unit at the Royal Free Hospital. |
| Last Wednesday, the hospital said Ms Cafferkey was "critically ill" after her condition had deteriorated. | Last Wednesday, the hospital said Ms Cafferkey was "critically ill" after her condition had deteriorated. |
| Following treatment her condition improved to "serious but stable" by Monday. | Following treatment her condition improved to "serious but stable" by Monday. |
| Dr Jacobs said Ms Cafferkey has been treated with "a highly experimental" anti-viral drug in the early stages of development called GS5734. | |
| "We don't know if it's of benefit to her," he said. | |
| 'Extremely concerned' | |
| And he added: "The crucial treatment is the exceptional nursing care at the Royal Free Hospital, that's what has really made the difference here. | |
| "It's really important to understand we don't use the term critically ill lightly. It means someone is at imminent risk of dying. | |
| "We were extremely concerned about Pauline's condition. That's why we're thrilled to be having this conversation now." | |
| Ms Cafferkey's family have previously claimed doctors "missed a big opportunity" to spot she had fallen ill with Ebola again. | |
| A total of 58 close contacts of the nurse have been identified, with 40 of those offered vaccinations as a precaution. | |
| The Ebola outbreak in west Africa has killed 11,312 of the 28,457 people infected since December 2013, according to the latest WHO figures. |