A Southland nurse feared to have returned to New Zealand with the deadly Ebola virus has tested negative for the disease.

Test results released on Sunday showed Gore-based nurse Bronni McBain did not have Ebola.

Health Minister Jonathan Coleman said it was "great news", but a second test would be needed to confirm the result, in line with established international protocols.

"We should have the results of the second test within 48 hours. It is highly unlikely that it will come back with a positive result."

McBain was flown from her home to Christchurch Hospital on Saturday after alerting authorities that she had developed a high fever.

The 47-year-old had been working as part of a medical team put together by King's College in London to help those stricken with Ebola in the western African country of Sierra Leone.

She returned to New Zealand on March 8 and on Friday noticed she was feeling unwell and had a high fever - one of the symptoms of the deadly Ebola virus.

She was put into a fully-enclosed special isolation pod - one of only four in the country - and taken to an isolation unit at Christchurch Hospital.

Coleman said McBain remained at the hospital in a stable condition and would stay in a specialist medical isolation room until the results of the second test was known.

"I would like to acknowledge the efforts of the patient and their family, who carefully followed the protocols for returning health workers, to ensure that there was no potential risk of others being exposed," Coleman said.

"I would also like to recognise the collective efforts of the many health workers involved, including St John's Ambulance, Southern Regional Public Health, Canterbury DHB, and the Ministry of Health."

The health sector had planned for months for such a incident and it was "pleasing" to see all the preparation had paid off, he said.

McBain's blood samples were sent to the Victorian Infectious Disease Reference Laboratory in Melbourne for testing.

Her husband Gary was the only person she had been in direct contact with since arriving back in New Zealand and he had been self-monitoring at home since she became unwell.

McBain had worked as a nurse for more than 10 years and specialised in rural nursing, emergency care and general practice.

The International Nurses Association and Worldwide Leaders in Healthcare described her as a "competent and passionate" nurse.

"Bronni has consistently demonstrated the abilities, compassion, and vision necessary to be mentioned among the top nurses in her field," it said.

CDHB chief executive David Meates said prior planning and practising had paid off and the response from staff in Canterbury had been "brilliant".

"It's been a huge team effort to support those providing care to the patient. Things have gone according to plan. Staff have remained calm and professional throughout," he said.

Staff had been "flexible and accommodating", with several being called back and having their shifts changed.

"Once again, the can do Canterbury spirit has come to the fore," Meates said.

NURSE'S TERROR TRIP

The emergency workers were covered head to toe in hazmat suits as they stepped off the helicopter in a quiet street in Gore before dawn on Saturday.

Curious residents waking to the roar of the chopper's blades were ordered back inside their homes.

For health officials, it was their "worst-case scenario" - a possible case of the deadly Ebola virus in remote, small town New Zealand.

Last Sunday, McBain returned to her home in Ruia St, Gore, from Sierra Leone, where she'd spent months treating the sick and dying.

The mother of two noticed she had a high fever on Friday and, recognising the potential danger, contacted health authorities.

Having come into contact only with husband Gary, a farmer, she stayed indoors and waited.

An emergency Ministry of Health plan swung into action. A specialist rescue chopper was scrambled from Northland, having to stop three times during its flight to Gore as it picked up specialist staff and refuelled.

When the helicopter landed in the quiet Gore street, the crew were wearing full protection gear.

McBain was placed inside a fully-enclosed special isolation pod and remained there until she reached her room at Christchurch Hospital, an isolation unit, with no windows.

Security guards stood outside the entrance to Christchurch Hospital last night. Staff going into the area are required to wear white, almost transparent, hooded suits.

The St John crew worked 24 hours straight to ensure the operation was carried out with minimum risk to themselves, or the residents of Gore.

Nursing runs strong in McBain's family. She was inspired to become a nurse at age seven, after looking through her great-aunt's old nursing books, and her daughter Alexandra works as a nurse at Dunedin Hospital.

In 2005, Fairfax spoke to the Otama farmer's wife, then 38, following her humanitarian efforts in tsunami-devastated Banda Aceh and the earthquake-ravaged Kashmir mountains.

In Kashmir she lost 7 kilograms in three-and-a-half weeks trekking daily into the mountains to check on homes, following the 7.6 magnitude earthquake that devastated the region.

She then spent 17 months working as a volunteer for small non-government organisation TroppoDoc, including two months in Burkina Faso in West Africa and several weeks in Bolivia.

In October 2014, McBain turned her focus to the fight against Ebola in Africa.

While she was selected to be part of a medical team put together by King's College in London to help those stricken with the disease in Sierra Leone, the trip was hampered by insurance costs and McBain's plan stalled for some time.

But a media campaign helped raise sufficient funds to get her to West Africa.

Neighbour Steven Evans said the 4am helicopter visit gave his family a fright.

"I got a hell of a shock. My bedroom lit up very bright. It sounded like they were hovering just about our roof."

Neighbour Irene McCall said McBain was a passionate, caring person who wasn't concerned at putting her own health at risk by volunteering to help others. "Let's hope all goes well," she said.

Other neighbours said they should never have been placed in danger like this. One, who asked for their name to be withheld, said McBain should have been quarantined overseas and given the all clear before returning to Gore.

"Why did they let her in? Why put everyone here at risk?"