BREAKING NEWS: THE MAN who died in South West Donegal and whose remains were taken to Letterkenny General Hospital to be tested for the Ebola virus was 44-year-old Dessie Quinn.
He had returned to Ireland from Sierra Leone two weeks ago where he was working for a Dublin-based company on a cable project.
He had been treated for malaria, but had been in good form over the weekend, local people said.
Mr Quinn was a much-loved father of one; with many tributes to him on social media sites tonight.
He lived between Inver and Mountcharles; his large extended family are said to be ‘distraught’ at his death.
“He had been sick all right,” said one family friend, “but he had been in great form at the weekend so his death at home came out of the blue.”
The HSE is currently assessing the suspected case of Ebola virus disease (EVD) in Donegal.
Until a diagnosis is confirmed, and as a precautionary measure, Mr Quinn’s remains will stay in the mortuary pending the laboratory results which are expected late tomorrow.
The risk of transmission of any disease is considered to be
extremely low. As a precautionary measure, appropriate infection control
procedures are being put in place in the community and at the mortuary
pending the outcome of laboratory tests.
Dr. Darina O’Flanagan, Head of the HSE Health Protection
Surveillance Centre, said; “In general, the risk of contracting Ebola
virus disease is extremely low and would involve very close personal
contact with the infected individual or their body fluids for there to
be any risk at all.”
“We await the outcome of the laboratory tests before we will
know whether or not this individual had contracted Ebola virus disease.
The appropriate public health guidelines are being followed at every
stage in this process as a precaution.”
Further information on Ebola virus disease can be found on the
HPSC’s website at http://www.hpsc.ie/ <http://www.hpsc.ie/> and
http://www.hpsc.ie/A-Z/
<http://www.hpsc.ie/A-Z/
