Two aid workers in Italy show signs of Ebola after returning from Uganda

Italy could have two suspected cases of Ebola, according to reports, with two aid workers showing symptoms of the disease that has ravaged DR Congo. A man and a woman who returned from Uganda after being there for three months are suffering from high fever, nausea, vomiting and intestinal problems, Daily Mail reported. A health alert is in place in northern Lombardy. Lombardy's regional welfare minister, Guido Bertolaso, said there was "no certainty that this is Ebola", adding, "We are hopeful they will be negative." Doctors are also considering the possibility of a form of malaria, which could be the likely diagnosis. They believe the woman could be suffering from cerebral malaria and might have to be admitted to the ICU. She belongs to Lurate Caccivio and has developed severe symptoms, including a very high fever and mild neurological issues.

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Meanwhile, the man from Bulgarograsso has milder symptoms and gastrointestinal problems. The Health Ministry said in a statement that the risk of Ebola in Italy "remains very low". A deadly strain of the Ebola virus is spreading across central Africa and has sparked fears of a wider spread. WHO has said that the risk of a global spread remains low. More than 900 suspected cases and 234 deaths have been reported in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Three Red Cross volunteers have also contracted the virus.

Current Ebola strain has no vaccine

The European Commission's Health Security Committee held a meeting on Sunday to discuss the Ebola emergency in Africa. All flights to and from Bunia have been grounded. Most cases and deaths have occurred in this DRC city. However, experts fear that the virus could have already spread to South Sudan. Ebola outbreaks have killed 50 per cent of those infected in the past. The current outbreak is fuelled by the Bundibugyo strain, which has no vaccines, as these are only available for the Zaire variant. Scientists at Oxford University are working to develop a vaccine, but with human testing and trials not expected for 2-3 months, it would not be available to be administered for at least six months.