West Africa Ebola Outbreak: American Citizen Quarantined and Tested for Deadly Virus in Ghana

Health workers carry the body of an Ebola virus victim in Kenema, Sierra Leone. The Ebola outbreak has killed 467 people in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone since FebruaryReuters

An American citizen has been quarantined and is being tested for Ebola in Ghana in the first suspected case in the country.

The unnamed person is believed to be quarantined at the Nyaho clinic in Accra after developing a fever, Citi News reports.

They had previously visited Guinea and Sierra Leone before arriving in Ghana.

Responding to the reports of Ebola in Ghana, the Ministry of Health confirmed it was investigating reports of the disease but said tests had not confirmed the deadly virus was present.

"The Ministry of Health wishes to inform the general public that the suspected fever case recorded at the Nyaho Clinic has not been confirmed yet by Noguchi Memorial Research Centre.

"Meanwhile the Ministry has put in place every precautionary measures at that clinic include additional support of Public Health staff from the Ministry, directive to quarantine patient and clinical staff, supply of protective gowns for staff of that hospital

"The Ministry has also directed that the case remain at that clinic and retreated ... whilst we wait for the laboratory result from the Noguchi Memorial Research Centre. We expect the general public to remain calm as we wait for the result from the blood sample taken for test."

Hundreds of people have died from Ebola across West Africa since the outbreak of the disease. However, this figure could be a gross underestimation due to difficulties in collecting accurate data, the World Health Organisation said.

An emergency meeting held by WHO concluded that the "current situation poses a serious threat to all countries in the region and beyond".

WHO said ministers called for coordinated action by all countries involved to curb the spread of the virus.

Luis Sambo, WHO Regional Director for Africa, said: "We have adopted an inter-country strategy to tackle this outbreak. It's time for concrete action to put an end to the suffering and deaths caused by Ebola virus disease and prevent its further spread."