Ebola Outbreak: Air France Plane Isolated at Madrid Airport after Passenger Reports Symptoms of Virus

Spanish authorities have isolated an Air France aircraft at Madrid's airport and activated emergency health procedures after a passenger reported Ebola-like symptoms of a fever and shivers, officials confirmed.

A Spanish health ministry spokeswoman said that they were treating the incident as a suspected case of Ebola.

The passenger jet arrived at Madrid's Barajas international airport from Paris before being taken to a special area of the airport compound with the passengers still on board, according to a Spanish Airport Authority spokeswoman.

The Europa Press news agency said that there were 183 passengers on board the plane.

A health ministry official had earlier revealed that the condition of Teresa Romero, a Spanish nursing assistant diagnosed with Ebola, was improving.

However, someone came into contact with the nursing assistant before she was hospitalised. This person is now reporting a fever and will be tested for the deadly tropical virus.

Health ministry spokesman Fernando Simon did not reveal the identity of the person who came into contact with Romero but confirmed that they are not a health worker. The result of the test is expected Thursday evening.

In the battle to contain the virus, the UN's Ebola mission chief said that the world was losing the race against its rapid spread.

"It is running faster than us, and it is winning the race," Anthony Banbury told the UN Security Council.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has confirmed 4,447 deaths at the hands of Ebola, with the majority of the victims coming from West Africa. There have been a total of 8,914 cases, a total which is expected to surpass 9,000 by the end of the week.