FEDERAL member for Kennedy Bob Katter has slammed quarantine and migration services after Queensland Health authorities confirmed a 57-year-old Cairns woman was being tested for the deadly Ebola virus.
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Mr Katter’s electorate of Kennedy includes the southern areas of Cairns and the Cairns Airport is the main service point for his electorate, with both an international and domestic terminal.
The Cairns hospital is the main hospital for the northern area of the electorate of Kennedy.
“It is simply unbelievable and incomprehensive how a person could get into this Australia from an Ebola-infected country. What is the purpose of our quarantine and migration services?” Mr Katter asked.
“There cannot be any compromise with this. If you want to go to one of these countries, however laudable your motivation, I am sorry but when you return to Australia, you must be quarantined for three weeks – not home quarantined.”
The woman returned to Queensland on the weekend after spending one month in Sierra Leone working in an Ebola hospital.
The nurse, who was working as a Red Cross volunteer, has been in home isolation since her return, Queensland’s chief health officer Dr Jeannette Young said.
She’s now developed a low grade fever that led to her being admitted to Cairns Hospital at 2pm yesterday for assessment by an infectious diseases specialist.
‘‘She’s done everything appropriately,’’ Dr Young said.
‘‘It’s only since this morning that’s she’s had a low grade fever.’’
Dr Young said the woman had been monitoring her health and contacted authorities yesterday.
‘‘This morning she rang up because she developed a low-grade fever of 37.6C,’’ Dr Young said.
Blood has been taken and sent to Brisbane by plane for testing.
‘‘There is the potential there so that’s why we’re treating this so seriously,’’ Dr Young said.
However Dr Young said: ‘‘There is no risk to anyone in that community or any staff in that hospital.’’
Dr Young also said another doctor was going through home isolation in Brisbane at present.
The results were expected late yesterday or in the early hours of this morning, with pathologists on standby to do the testing as soon as the blood sample arrives in Brisbane.
Dr Young said the woman had a flatmate but had not been unwell until this morning.
‘‘Ebola virus is very difficult to transmit – it’s not like the flu or measles,’’ she said.
Dr Young also said there was no worry about passengers on the woman’s flights home.
‘‘There is absolutely no concern for any passenger on any plane she’s been on because she did not have any symptoms at all when she was on those flights.’’
Australia has investigated three suspected cases of Ebola previously.