Germany news: Ebola patient admitted to Berlin hospital

"The German Health Ministry acquiesced to a request from the United States for the patient to be treated in Germany rather than the United States due to the shorter travel time from Uganda and the Charite's experience in dealing with Ebola. The patient was flown to Berlin on a special medical aircraft and was then driven to the hospital in a specially designed vehicle escorted by police. Six people with whom the infected man had contact have also been flown to Germany."

"The German Health Ministry has reassured the public that there is no danger of the deadly virus spreading to the general population. The Charite hospital specializes in the treatment of such cases and the patient is being housed in a completely isolated ward, separate from the rest of the clinic. Ebola spreads through direct contact with infected people or their bodily fluids and generally begins with symptoms comparable to flu or diarrhea before worsening."

"The ultimate cause of death is usually multiple organ failure. According to the German Health Ministry, however, the mortality rate following modern treatment and specialist monitoring at a clinic like Berlin's Charite drops from around 60% to 20%-30%."

A US doctor infected with Ebola in Congo was admitted to Berlin’s Charite hospital in the early hours of Wednesday. The German Health Ministry agreed to treat the patient in Germany instead of the United States because travel time from Uganda was shorter and Charite had Ebola experience. The patient was flown to Berlin on a special medical aircraft and transported by a specially designed vehicle escorted by police. Six people who had contact with the patient were also flown to Germany. The ministry reassured the public that Ebola would not spread to the general population. The patient is housed in a completely isolated ward. Ebola spreads through direct contact with infected people or bodily fluids, often starting with flu-like symptoms or diarrhea before worsening, and typically leading to multiple organ failure. Modern treatment and specialist monitoring can reduce mortality from about 60% to 20%–30%.

Read at www.dw.com