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Ebola: RAF sends plane to help UK military worker Ebola: RAF sends plane to help UK military worker
(35 minutes later)
An RAF plane has been sent to Sierra Leone to help a British military healthcare worker who has tested positive for the Ebola virus.An RAF plane has been sent to Sierra Leone to help a British military healthcare worker who has tested positive for the Ebola virus.
The woman, who has not been named, will be assessed by experts before a decision is made on whether to transfer her to the UK for treatment.The woman, who has not been named, will be assessed by experts before a decision is made on whether to transfer her to the UK for treatment.
Her next of kin have been informed.Her next of kin have been informed.
The Ministry of Defence said an RAF C17 aircraft had left the UK on Wednesday evening and was due to arrive in Africa early on Thursday.The Ministry of Defence said an RAF C17 aircraft had left the UK on Wednesday evening and was due to arrive in Africa early on Thursday.
An Ebola expert from the Royal Free Hospital in London was on board, the MoD added.An Ebola expert from the Royal Free Hospital in London was on board, the MoD added.
"A clinical decision on whether the individual will be medically evacuated to the UK for treatment will be taken in due course," an MoD spokeswoman said."A clinical decision on whether the individual will be medically evacuated to the UK for treatment will be taken in due course," an MoD spokeswoman said.
"Despite there being stringent procedures and controls in place to safeguard UK service personnel, there is always a level of risk in deployments on operations of this type.""Despite there being stringent procedures and controls in place to safeguard UK service personnel, there is always a level of risk in deployments on operations of this type."
'Close contact''Close contact'
The patient is currently at the Kerry Town treatment unit in Sierra Leone, where British between 600 and 700 troops are currently helping tackle the virus outbreak. Between 600 and 700 UK defence personnel are currently helping tackle the virus outbreak in Sierra Leone. The British patient is currently at the Kerry Town treatment unit near the capital, Freetown.
A spokesman for Public Health England said: "An investigation in to how the military worker was exposed to the virus is currently under way and tracing of individuals in recent contact with the diagnosed worker is being undertaken.A spokesman for Public Health England said: "An investigation in to how the military worker was exposed to the virus is currently under way and tracing of individuals in recent contact with the diagnosed worker is being undertaken.
"Any individuals identified as having had close contact will be assessed and a clinical decision made regarding bringing them to the UK.""Any individuals identified as having had close contact will be assessed and a clinical decision made regarding bringing them to the UK."
He added: "The UK has robust, well-developed and well-tested systems for managing Ebola and the overall risk to the public in the UK continues to be very low."He added: "The UK has robust, well-developed and well-tested systems for managing Ebola and the overall risk to the public in the UK continues to be very low."
British nurses Will Pooley and Pauline Cafferkey have both recovered from Ebola after being infected in West Africa last year.British nurses Will Pooley and Pauline Cafferkey have both recovered from Ebola after being infected in West Africa last year.
The current Ebola outbreak was first reported in March last year and has killed almost 10,000 people, mostly in the West African countries of Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea.The current Ebola outbreak was first reported in March last year and has killed almost 10,000 people, mostly in the West African countries of Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea.