A Romanian man suspected of being infected with the Ebola virus was transferred on Sunday (August 10) from a hospital in Ploiesti to the Matei Bals Institute in Romania’s capital. The 51-year old recently returned from Nigeria.

However, Romanian doctor Adrian Streinu-Cercel, manager of the Matei Bals Institute, said that the possibility of infection with the Ebola virus in this case is very low. However, there is still the possibility of other infections, so the man will remain in the hospital.

The doctor added that the patient did office work in Nigeria, so he couldn’t come in contact with secretions that could have caused Ebola, such as blood or biological fluids, reports local Mediafax.

The man’s family also remains in quarantine, at home, this being a preventive measure taken by the local authorities. However, none of the family members have symptoms similar to the patient admitted in the hospital.

There is no vaccine or efficient treatment against the Ebola virus and most cases of infection end up in death. The main symptoms of the disease are fever, headaches, diarrhea, bleeding and vomiting. The virus is transmitted through direct contact with the blood, biological fluids and tissues of infected persons.

Irina Popescu, irina.popescu@romania-insider.com