Health officials have confirmed that there have been no reported cases of the deadly Ebola virus on the Island, despite fears that the latest outbreak of the killer could spread globally.

The World Health Organisation has now declared the current epidemic — which has so far claimed almost 1,000 lives in West Africa — as an international health emergency, amid fears the virus could spread worldwide.

A spokesman for the Ministry of Health yesterday said staff were continuing “to monitor, prepare for and prevent local occurrences”, but that no cases had been reported so far.

“The Ministry remains in close communication with their international and regional public health advisers and, as such, the Ministry can advise that it is following the latest advice from the World Health Organisation,” the spokesman said.

“Bermuda has taken action on these recommendations over the past few days and will make further progress in the coming weeks. Current recommendations include that there be no general ban on international travel and trade. However, travellers are advised as always to stay up to date with regard to international Travel Advisories and Alerts posted on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website: www.cdc.gov/travel.

Symptoms of Ebola typically include fever, headache, joint and muscle aches, weakness, diarrhoea, vomiting, stomach pain and lack of appetite.

Symptoms may appear anywhere from two to 21 days after exposure, although eight to ten days is most common. It is not always possible to identify patients with Ebola early because initial symptoms may be non-specific. For this reason, healthcare workers apply standard precautions consistently with all patients regardless of their diagnosis.

Standard treatment for Ebola is still limited to supportive therapy to help relieve symptoms.

Regular updates on Ebola preparedness efforts in Bermuda will be posted on the government website www.health.gov.bm and Facebook page.