A Saudi man, who recently returned from a Sierra Leone business trip, presented with symptoms of viral hemorrhagic fever last night at a hospital in Jeddah, according to a Saudi Ministry of Health press release today.
The patient, 40, is in critical condition. He has been moved to a tertiary care center with advanced isolation and infection-control capabilities.
Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) and other viruses are being tested for to rule out the cause of the man’s illness. Samples have been sent to an international reference lab at the recommendation of the World Health Organization.
Preliminary testing at a specialized laboratory in Saudi Arabia was negative for Dengue virus.
Saudi Arabia announced in April that it is not issuing visas for the 2014 Hajj and Umrah to pilgrims from Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea due to these countries suffering from an Ebola outbreak.
As of 1st August 2014, the cumulative number of cases attributed to EVD in the four countries stands at 1,603 including 887 deaths. For more infectious disease news and information, visit and “like” the Infectious Disease News Facebook page
