UK To Start Screening At Airports As Briton Dies Of “Ebola” In Macedonia

People arriving in the UK from areas hit by Ebola face “enhanced screening” for the virus at Heathrow, Gatwick and Eurostar terminals following the death of a Briton, who is suspected to have contracted the disease, in Macedonia.

According to the BBC, Downing Street said passengers would be asked questions and potentially given a medical assessment.

Whitehall sources say it is “very unlikely” the Briton who died in Macedonia on Thursday could have contracted the disease.

The UK Foreign Office had said it was urgently investigating the reports.

The unnamed man, who Macedonian authorities said was 57, was admitted to hospital at 15:00 local time (14:00 BST) and died two hours later, the country’s health ministry said.

He had been vomiting, had a fever and was bleeding internally.

There were “high chances” it was not an Ebola case, the ministry added.

But in a statement it said officials had followed World Health Organization procedure in closing the hotel where the man was staying and placing the residents in quarantine.

A Macedonian government spokesman said the man’s travelling companion – also British and aged 72 according to authorities – said they had travelled directly from the UK to Skopje and had not been to any affected areas. He is under observation in hospital, as is the ambulance crew who treated the dead man.

Dr Brian McCloskey, from Public Health England, said he was aware of the reports but added: “We understand Ebola to be unlikely as the cause of death but will continue to work with partners to investigate.”