NHS Highland has confirmed that a woman in the west Highlands who is being treated as a suspected Ebola patient is being transferred to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary.
And it has stressed that all precautions are being taken to minimise the risk of further infection.
A spokesman for the health board said: “NHS Highland can confirm there is a woman in Torridon Youth Hostel who became ill yesterday and has recently returned from Sierra Leone.
“While the woman is being described as ‘low probability of Ebola infection’ as she has had no direct contact with people infected with Ebola, given the seriousness of Ebola, the patient will be transferred to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, the region’s infectious diseases unit, later today via a specially equipped ambulance.
“It is important to stress that this patient is not confirmed as having Ebola, but meets the criteria for testing having returned from a high risk country within the last 21 days.”
And he stressed that the actions being taken were “precautionary”.
He added that NHS Highland public health specialists had been in contact with the youth hostel, the local GP practice and the patient throughout last night and this morning.
And he said all precautions had been taken to minimise the potential for further infection.
“The patient’s immediate travelling party are being regularly updated by the public health team about interim arrangements, including having an on-site presence,” said the spokesman.