THE European Commission has demanded an explanation from Spain as to how a nurse treating Ebola patients was not diagnosed with the virus until a week after she began feeling unwell.
The Spanish nurse, 44, has become the first person in Europe to contract the deadly virus after helping to treat two repatriated priests who both died.
An investigation has been launched to determine exactly how she contracted the disease while working within the strict safety guidelines, and why she went a week before being placed in isolation.
She reportedly contacted doctors to say she was suffering from a fever and fatigue on September 30, but did not present herself to her local hospital until the early hours of Monday morning.
The European Commission sent a letter Monday to the Spanish health minister to obtain clarification of how this happened despite all the precautions taken to prevent an outbreak, a spokesman said.
“There is obviously a problem somewhere,” said spokesman Frederic Vincent.
Spain’s health minister, Ana Mato, announced that an emergency protocol has been put in place and authorities are working to establish the source of the contagion at the Madrid hospital.
All 30 medical staff who treated the two priests are now being monitored, as well as the nurse’s husband.
Health authorities are attempting to find all of the people she could have come in contact with since she contracted the disease.
She is reportedly in a stable condition.
Elena Moral, leader of the CSIF-AGCM public workers’ union, told Spanish public radio: “The precautionary measures that should have been taken were not effective. The necessary training was not given and we must find out who was responsible.”
