‘Pan-EU effort’ will repatriate any Irish ebola victim

Irish people struck down with ebola in areas ravaged by the infection may have to depend on other EU nations to bring them home.

Government officials confirmed the situation would be discussed at a high-level meeting of foreign affairs ministers across the EU in Luxembourg on Monday. While no set protocol has been finalised, the Irish Examiner understands smaller nations such as Ireland are pushing for a pan-European repatriation approach for any citizen struck down by the condition, which has a fatality rate of 70%-90%.

Among the options being discussed are that, in the event of an Irish person in a country overrun by the illness contracting ebola, authorities here will seek the help of larger EU nations.