A British military healthcare worker has been brought back to England for Ebola monitoring after suffering a needle-stick injury while treating a person in Sierra Leone.
Public Health England (PHE) said the individual has been admitted to the Royal Free Hospital in London for assessment and next of kin have been informed.
It is believed the military transport, bringing the patient back as a precautionary measure, arrived at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire in the early hours of this morning.
The individual is likely to have been exposed to the virus but has not been diagnosed with Ebola and does not have symptoms.
Professor Paul Cosford, PHE's director for health protection and medical director, said: "Our thoughts are with this person, who has been courageous in helping those affected in West Africa, and in preventing the wider spread of Ebola.
"We have strict, well-tested protocols in place for this eventuality and we are confident that all appropriate actions have been taken to support the healthcare worker concerned and to protect the health of other people."
Needle-stick injuries involve a piercing of the skin, typically by a needle point but also by other sharp instruments or objects.
They are a serious occupational hazard for doctors, healthcare workers and those working in law enforcement.
The injuries are of particular concern because of the risk of blood-borne diseases being transmitted.
The patient is being treated at London's Royal Free Hospital (RFH), where British nurses Pauline Cafferkey and Will Pooley were treated in a specialist isolation unit. They were each diagnosed with the disease after helping treat patients in Africa.
A statement from the Royal Free Hospital said: "We can confirm that a UK military healthcare worker has been admitted to the Royal Free Hospital today following a needlestick injury while treating a person with Ebola in Sierra Leone.
"The individual has been admitted to the Royal Free Hospital for assessment. The individual is likely to have been exposed to the Ebola virus but has not been diagnosed with Ebola and does not have symptoms."
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