欧洲准备可能出现的埃博拉病毒病例

So far the only confirmed case of the Ebola virus in Europe was a Spanish missionary medically evacuated back to Madrid from Liberia. But Swedish doctors are currently assessing whether a young man who recently travelled to West Africa has the deadly virus.

This is the Belgian Institute of Tropical Medicine where Ebola virus was first identified in 1976. Virology teams here are now attempting to ensure the deadly disease does not take hold in Europe.

"We have had some suspected cases, but in the end they all turned out to be negative, fortunately," said Dr. Marjan Van Esbroeck, from Institute for Tropical Medicine.

UN officials say Ebola has killed more than 1,500 people in West Africa since March. Earlier outbreaks were mostly in isolated rural environments.

While the current epidemic is sweeping through densely populated urban areas making contagion much harder to control.

Doctors say Ebola can only be contracted through direct contact with blood, or other bodily fluids, making the prospect of epidemic in Europe.

"Unlikely, extremely unlikely. And why? Mainly because we have strong health systems here. First and second we are, in the past months, everybody has been working very hard to be well prepared," said Dr. Evelyn Depoortere, from Institute for Tropical Medicine.

Medical experts are also regularly checking for mutations.

"It’s being monitored, but for now there’s mutation of the virus to make it more contagious, or changes the mode of transmission," Dr. Esbroeck said.

The main entry points to Europe are airports. Some members of the aviation industry would like a response plan put under the wings of the European Aviation Crisis Coordination Cell, known as the EACCC.

"That is in charge with dealing with airspace and to divert airlines, but first and foremost to inform airlines and passengers, and it looks like it might be a good idea to extend the scope of the AECCC if that is of course feasible to such things as an epidemic," said Fabio Gamba, CEO of European Business Aviation Association.

With the risk of an epidemic in Europe remaining low, the real focus here is on searching for a vaccine and assisting medical services in West Africa.