Ebola nurse Pauline Cafferkey 'critically ill' after condition deteriorates

Pauline Cafferkey, the nurse who suffered complications from the Ebola infection she contracted while volunteering in west Africa, is now critically ill, the Royal Free hospital, in London, has said.

Analysis Ebola crisis – the story in brief
The Ebola outbreak has killed about 8,800 people in west Africa, and affected the US and Spain, where people returning from the region have died and transmitted the infection to several nurses. We examine the background to the disease, its spread and its impact
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Cafferkey was flown from Scotland, where she lives, to London for specialised care in an isolation tent at the Royal Free after she fell ill last week. Her family said the local medical staff were slow to realise this was a recurrence of the infection she had successfully fought last year.

The Royal Free said on Wednesday afternoon that her condition had deteriorated and that she is now critically ill. They have not released further details of her illness.


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“We are sad to announce that Pauline Cafferkey’s condition has deteriorated and she is now critically ill. Pauline is being treated for Ebola in the high-level isolation unit at the Royal Free hospital,” a statement said.

While there have been reports of virus lingering in the eyes of survivors and of transmission through semen, Cafferkey is the first known person to have a serious recurrence of Ebola viral disease – though it is entirely possible that other survivors in west Africa may fall ill in the same way but without coming to public attention.Although 58 of Cafferkey’s contacts are being monitored, most experts believe that is a precautionary measure to reassure the public and that it is unlikely she is infectious.

Cafferkey volunteered to work in Sierra Leone and spent four weeks there, mostly with Save the Children at their Ebola treatment centre outside Freetown. She began to feel ill on return at Heathrow airport, where she told public health staff who were assessing the returnees but was cleared to return to Scotland. She was flown to the Royal Free when she became ill and was in a critical condition, but fought it off.theguardian