Ebola terror: Woman tested for killer virus as she collapses and dies at Gatwick Airport

Fresh fears over Ebola arriving in the UK were raised again when a woman died at Gatwick Airport after arriving from Gambia yesterday.

The elderly woman collapsed at the airport shortly after arriving on a Gambia Bird flight and was later pronounced dead.

The woman, who is thought to be in her early 70s, showed no symptoms during the flight, according to a spokesman from Public Health England.

She later tested negative for the virus.

Dr Brian McCloskey, director of global public health at Public Health England, said: "Yesterday morning a passenger became unwell after disembarking a flight at Gatwick from The Gambia, and sadly died in hospital.

"There was no health risk to other passengers or crew, as the passenger did not have symptoms during the flight. It was considered very unlikely to be a case of Ebola but testing was done as a precaution, and was negative.

"The correct procedures were followed to confirm there was no reason to quarantine the airplane, the passengers or staff.

"PHE can confirm there was no public health risk around the sad death of this individual."

A Gatwick spokeswoman said: "We can confirm that a passenger on board a Gambia Bird flight on Saturday August 2 became unwell after disembarking the aircraft, was treated by experienced medical airport staff at the scene but sadly later died at East Surrey Hospital.

"Given the origin of the flight, the hospital carried out tests for Ebola and other infectious diseases as a precaution. The tests came back negative.

"As a precaution, the aircraft was isolated, as were relevant airline and airport staff. At every stage, we took advice from Public Health England, which cleared the aircraft for its return journey."

The deadly virus has swept through west Africa, with cases recorded in Guinea, Sierra Leone, Nigeria and Liberia.

The death told now stands at almost 800, with more than 1,000 cases of the killer virus reported.

This is the worst outbreak of the disease ever on record.

Ebola has a 90 per cent fatality rate and there is currently no cure or vaccine for it.

No Britons have so far been diagnosed with the illness, although one man returning from West Africa was tested and cleared for Ebola in Birmingham.

Another was cleared after complaining of symptoms at Charing Cross Hospital in London.