Scottish Nurse Who Contracted Ebola "In Serious Condition" After Being Readmitted To Hospital

Pauline Cafferkey was flown to the Royal Free hospital in London on Friday, and is being treated for the Ebola virus.

A Scottish nurse who contracted Ebola in Sierra Leone last year has been readmitted to hospital following an “unusual late complication”.

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Pauline Cafferkey, 39, was admitted to the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow earlier this week after feeling unwell. She was then flown to the Royal Free Hospital in London early on Friday, and is being treated in its high-level isolation unit for the Ebola virus.

In a statement, the Royal Free confirmed that Cafferkey had been readmitted and is in a serious condition.

Earlier on today the hospital sought to reassure the public. In a statement they said: "The Ebola virus can only be transmitted by direct contact with the blood or bodily fluids of an infected person while they are symptomatic so the risk to the general public remains low and the NHS has well established and practised infection control procedures in place," the statement said.

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NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde has confirmed the virus is present in Cafferkey, but said that it was left over from the original infection.

It is not thought to be contagious, and the NHSGGC director of public health, Dr Emilia Crighton, reiterated that the "risk to the public is very low", BBC News reported. "In line with normal procedures in cases such as this, we have identified a small number of close contacts of Pauline's that we will be following up as a precaution," she said.

Ten days ago, Cafferkey visited 10 Downing St and met Samantha Cameron along with other Pride of Britain award winners.

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Pauline Cafferkey (fourth from left) with Samantha Cameron and other Pride of Britain winners.

The nurse from Cambuslang, South Lanarkshire, first contracted the virus on 29 December 2014 while volunteering with Save the Children at a treatment centre in Kerry Town, Sierra Leone.

After returning to the UK she was transferred to an isolation unit at the Royal Free's specialist treatment centre for Ebola. Her condition deteriorated, and on 4 January the hospital announced that she had become critically ill.

Cafferkey spent nearly a month at the unit before being discharged. At the time, the Royal Free's Dr Michael Jacobs said that she had made a complete recovery and was "not infectious in any way".