UNIVERSITIES in Hampshire have been issued with guidance over what to do if a student contracts Ebola.

Public Health England has published advice to health professionals and education authorities over what action to take if there is a reported case of the deadly disease in the region.

The authority has stressed that although the risk of Ebola coming to the UK remains low, public bodies do have to ensure that they have contingency plans in place to deal with any potential cases.

Due to the number of international students on campuses, universities are being asked to ensure they have read the advice and are able to respond to any potential incident.

A spokesman for Southampton Solent University said: “We are in routine contact with Public Health England on an extremely regular basis but certainly we would be taking all the guidance available on the Ebola threat, which remains low.

“We have received that advice and ensuring we are taking all the steps we should in what, by its nature, is an evolving situation.”

The University of Southampton also confirmed that it has received the advice from Public Health England and was ensuring it was acted upon should it be required.

A spokesman said: “We have received the clear and helpful Ebola advice and risk assessment information from Public Health England and will incorporate their guidelines if we need to respond to a specific incident.”

The advice to public bodies says that any guidance is based on the low, but nevertheless real, risk of importing a case of Ebola from West Africa where the disease has killed more than 3,500 people.

Transmitted This week has also seen the first reported case of the disease transmitted outside of west Africa, in a hospital nurse who treated a priest flown to Madrid for treatment.

The advice from PHE says that there are no plans to introduce entry screening for Ebola at UK airports as that would involve checking every returning traveller. Instead PHE has provided the UK Border Force with advice on the assessment of an unwell patient on entry to UK.

Dr Paul Cosford, director of health protection at Public Health England, said: “The risk of travellers and people working in affected countries contracting Ebola remains low, but PHE continues to keep border staff and medical practitioners informed, and request they remain vigilant for unexplained illness in those who have visited these areas in West Africa. As part of contingency preparations, PHE has provided primary care and hospital healthcare workers with the latest information about the outbreak and actions to take in the event of a possible case.”