Ebola recovery in Europe: Spanish nurse Teresa Romero tests negative for virus

The Spanish nurse who fell ill with Ebola earlier this month has recovered, according to the Spanish government.

 

Teresa Romero, 44, contracted the virus at a hospital in Madrid while treating two Spanish missionaries who had been repatriated from west Africa. She was the first person to become infected while outside of west Africa. 

 

But today, health authorities confirmed she has now tested negative for Ebola. This indicates she has made a full recovery from the disease, but a second test must be carried out overnight in order to confirm this. According to a statement, her health is “developing favourably”. 

 

Romero is currently being treated at the Carlos III hospital in Madrid, where she was reportedly given a serum containing the antibodies from survivors of the disease.

 

Her husband is now being monitored under quarantine, along with 14 others she came into contact with while infectious. None of them have shown any symptoms of the disease so far. 

 

The epidemic has killed over 4,500 people in west Africa since it began in December last year, according to World Health Organisation estimates. Nearly all deaths have occurred in the three main affected countries – Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.