British Ebola Nurse Returns To West Africa

20 October 2014, 11:32 | Updated: 20 October 2014, 11:33

The British nurse who was successfully treated for Ebola at a hospital in North London has returned to the country where he caught the infection.

William Pooley said he was "delighted" to go back to Sierra Leone in West Africa as he attempts to prevent "as many unnecessary deaths as possible".

The 29-year-old arrived in the capital Freetown yesterday and he will now resume work in an Ebola isolation unit run by UK medical staff, King's Health Partners said.

Mr Pooley became the first confirmed Briton to contract Ebola and was flown back to the UK in August, where he was treated at the Royal Free Hospital.

It comes after a Spanish nursing assistant who became the first person to contract Ebola outside Africa was found to be clear of all traces of the virus.

A blood test has revealed that Teresa Romero's immune system has eliminated the infection from her body, according to a statement released by Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy's office.

Mr Pooley said: "I am delighted to be returning to Sierra Leone to join the King's Health Partners team. I would like to once again thank the team at the Royal Free Hospital and the RAF who provided me with such excellent treatment and support.

"But the real emergency is in West Africa, and the teams out there need all the support we can give them.

"I am now looking forward to getting back out there and doing all I can to prevent as many unnecessary deaths as possible."

More than 4,500 people have died from Ebola, mainly in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.