Has Ebola infected Isis militants in Mosul?

Islamic State (Isis) militants in Mosul may have contracted Ebola, according to Iraqi media reports of suspected cases at an IS-controlled hospital in the city.

The government and Kurdish media reported that militants were displaying symptoms similar to those of Ebola. The World Health Organization has not been able to confirm this but has offered assistance to Iraqi officials.

Iraq's official pro-government newspaper, al Sabaah, said Ebola arrived in Mosul from "terrorists" who came "from several countries and Africa", reports Mashable.

However, it is uncertain if any IS recruits came from the Ebola-hit regions of West Africa. Most have come from Tunisia, Morocco, Libya, Egypt, Algeria, Sudan and Somalia.

A number of other illnesses could be to blame for the fighters' symptoms. Malaria, Lassa fever, yellow fever and the Marburg virus could all be confused with Ebola as they can also cause fever, nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea.

IS, a group that has been known to dismiss some aspects of science and modern medicine, recently executed a number of Iraqi doctors in Mosul for refusing to treat militants. UN workers have also been prohibited from entering their territory, an intelligence analyst who specialises in Iraq told Mashable.