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Ebola: Air France flight from Paris held in Spain

The Local France
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Ebola: Air France flight from Paris held in Spain
An Air France plane was grounded in Madrid on Thursday over fears a passenger had contracted Ebola. Photo: AFP

UPDATED: An Air France flight from Paris was grounded in Madrid on Thursday after passenger fell ill. The sick man, who had just returned from Africa has been isolated while tests are carried out. He complained of shivering but is not reported to have had a fever.

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BREAKING NEWS: French nurse in Paris suspected of having Ebola

Spain on Thursday activated emergency health procedures at Madrid's Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas airport after a passenger on an Air France flight from Paris complained of shivering.

However airline sources told The Local that initial indications suggested this was not a case of Ebola. Nevertheless the passenger, who was on a connecting flight from Paris after returning from Africa, has been taken to a hospital in the Spanish capital where he will be isolated until medical tests are carried out.

The crew of the plane alerted health authorities on the ground in Barajas when they became aware the passenger was unwell, according to Spanish news agency Europa Press.

The plane carrying 183 passengers left Charles de Gaulle in Paris at 9.35am and arrived at 11.30am, national daily El País reported.

Sources at Air France told Europa Press passengers had disembarked "normally".

An Air France spokesperson told The Local the passenger, had been isolated for medical checks.

According to the airline the passenger did not show signs of having a fever, contradicting some Spanish media reports.

"Initial indications are that its not a case of Ebola," a spokesman told The Local, although he said medical investigations were ongoing.
 
"We understand the passenger did not have a temperature."
 
Air France say the plane will remain in Madrid to be "disinfected".
 
The aircraft is currently at a remote parking by at Madrid airport, and authorities are waiting for at least one ambulance so that the isolated passenger can be transferred to Madrid's Carlos III hospital, news agency Efe has reported.
 
He will remain at the facility until tests confirming whether has Ebola or not have been carried out, El Mundo have reported. 
 
Carlos III is the hospital where the Spanish nursing assistant with Ebola, Teresa Romero, is currently receiving treatment.
 
On Saturday France will step up its safety checks in response to Ebola fears by screening passengers arriving at airports on flights from affected countries. 
 
*An earlier version of this story said the flight was heading to Paris when the alarm was raised, but in fact it had just arrived from the French capital. 

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