The person presented at Glasgow’s Queen Elizabeth University Hospital’s Acute Receiving Unit around 6am on Tuesday with Ebola symptoms, but test results have came back negative
The patient suspected of having contracted Ebola has tested negative.
The individual attended the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital’s Acute Receiving Unit in Glasgow at around 6am on Tuesday, June 30. It was believed the unit was placed into an emergency lockdown.
But NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde earlier told BBC news there were no ward closures at the QEUH and it confirmed patients and visitors were not being advised to stay away, but precautionary measures were taken.
Unlike other viruses such as Covid, Ebola is not an airborne virus and is not spread by being near the infected person.
It is understood the individual had recently returned to Glasgow after travelling to a country affected by Ebola before attending hospital with concerning symptoms. If it had been confirmed, it would be the first case in the UK since the outbreak in the DRC was declared a public health emergency of international concern by the World Health Organisation (WHO).
They were assessed before being isolated for testing, treatment and further examinations. Test revealed the individual hadn’t contracted Ebola. Though medics screened for a number of other infectious diseases.
A hospital source said: “Obviously Ebola is a deadly and contagious illness, and emergency measures had to be put in place immediately to protect both staff and any members of the public.
“The person came to the Acute Receiving Unit, where people are sent by their GP or the health board’s 101 number to avoid having to present at accident and emergency. This was quickly shut down and sealed off from the rest of the hospital.”
The source told the National : “The person was assessed there and then taken elsewhere in the hospital. I believe they were put into confinement while the tests to establish if they have Ebola or something else are carried out.”
The latest Ebola outbreak, first declared in May 2026, has affected both the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda. It is being driven by the rare Bundibugyo strain of the virus, for which there is currently no approved vaccine. One case has also been recorded in both France and Germany.
The UK’s last confirmed case was over an decade ago and involved public health nurse Pauline Cafferkey, who contracted the virus while working at an Ebola treatment centre in Sierra Leone.
She returned to Glasgow and was diagnosed with Ebola at Gartnavel General Hospital on December 29, 2014, before later being treated at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in 2016 after suffering a recurrence of the illness.
Another hospital worker told the Glasgow Times : “The mere mention of the word Ebola strikes panic into people. You think of it as a disease that happens elsewhere.
“The hospital has strict protocols and procedures to deal with these types of rare occurrences and everything seemed to be followed to a tee, but it is still a worry for those who were on duty at the time.”
A spokesperson for Public Health Scotland (PHS) said: “PHS is working closely with the UK Health Security Agency to assess routes by which travellers may enter the UK from affected countries. The risk from people arriving in the UK from affected areas is low and the NHS has safe procedures in place for detecting and managing any such cases.
“PHS and NHS boards across Scotland have well established protocols for assessing and testing travellers arriving in the UK from areas affected by Ebola where necessary. Where required, contact tracing will occur and contacts may undergo clinical assessment and precautionary testing.”
The spokesperson added: “There are currently no confirmed cases of Ebola in Scotland and the risk to the general public remains low.
“Ebola is transmitted through direct contact with blood or bodily fluids of symptomatic individuals or contaminated objects. Scotland has strict protocols for monitoring and controlling potential cases.”
