Suspected Ebola case tests negative in Saudi Arabia

The initial tests on a man who died after suffering from Ebola-like symptoms in Saudi Arabia have shown negative results, the health ministry said.

The ministry said the initial results of tests carried out in the US on whether the Jeddah-based patient had been suffering from the Ebola virus were negative.

The same labs would carry out further tests, MENA news agency reported Saturday.

The ministry said it was waiting for the results of a second sample from German labs, and has beefed up pre-emptive measures at airports and ports.

The 40-year-old man who visited Sierra Leone, one of four countries in the outbreak, died of cardiac arrest.

The Saudi health ministry has advised against travelling to Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.

In April, Saudi Arabia announced a ban on pilgrimage visas to people from the three West African nations.

The current Ebola outbreak started in Guinea in December 2013. It has now manifested itself in Liberia, Nigeria, and Sierra Leone, besides Guinea.

As of Aug 4, the four countries have reported 1,711 cases, including 932 deaths.

The virus is spread through direct contact with the bodily fluids of those infected.