THE death of a Liberian, Patrick Sawyer, of Ebola Virus disease in a Lagos Hospital last week, is fueling fears that the deadly disease may have spread beyond Africa, after two persons were quarantined in separate instances on Hong Kong and the UK for showing Ebola disease-like symptoms following their trips to Africa.

Victim of the deadly Ebola virus disease, Patrick Sawyer wth wife, Decontee

In Hong Kong, the unnamed woman was quarantined at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, when she exhibited symptoms of the Ebola Virus disease shortly after returning from Kenya. She later tested negative to the disease. The suspected patient in the UK was tested for the Ebola virus at a hospital in Birmingham after developing ‘feverish’ symptoms. He was given the all-clear by doctors but there are fears the killer disease could spread to the UK.

The World Health Organisation says Ebola Virus Disease has already killed 672 people in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone and infected more than 1,200 since it was first diagnosed in February. The panic sparked by Mr Sawyer’s death is ‘justified’ says Dr. Derek Gatherer of the University of Lancaster, claiming the virus is as infectious as flu.

He warned that each person infected with the disease could spread the virus to at least two other people, noting, “Anyone on the same plane could have become infected because Ebola is easy to catch,’ warning that the spread of Ebola could become a global pandemic

Meanwhile as he chaired an emergency meeting on how to boost defences, British Foreign Secretary, Philip Hammond declared that the disease is ‘very serious threat’. The World Health Organisation says the death toll for what is described as the worst outbreak recorded since the Ebola virus was discovered in 1976, stands at 672, while more than 1,200 people have been infected.