Queensland's chief medical officer Jeannette Young stressed that – although they're still awaiting the results of a blood test – it is "very unlikely he has ebola". "The gentleman has no symptoms suggestive of ebola virus disease, but we've decided to send off some blood samples for testing, and we'll get those results later tonight," Dr Young said on Thursday afternoon. "Ebola virus disease is actually a difficult infection to contract – it's not airborne, so it's not like flu or measles, which you can get through breathing in droplets – you need to have exposure to secretions from someone. "That of course has not occurred with this person, as he's not had symptoms resulting in producing secretions, so he's not been of any risk to anyone, even if he does have Ebola, which I think is very unlikely" Gold Coast Health's head of infectious diseases John Gerrard also said it was "exceedingly unlikely" the 27-year-old had the highly infectious virus after assessing him this morning.

A police spokeswoman said the alarm was raised by officers after the man spent four hours in custody at Southport station, following an arrest on minor charges. Arresting officers said he had not complained of ill health at the time he was taken into custody but complained of flu-like symptoms at the time of his release. The officers called paramedics after the man revealed he had returned from Africa just two days earlier. "The arrest matter had been finalised after a man had spent four hours in custody at Southport watch house," the spokeswoman said. "Queensland Police Service is taking all necessary precautions to ensure the safety of all persons in the Southport watch house, including staff and prisoners, who may have had any contact with the man involved and at this time it is not believed that the closure of the watchhouse is required."

The alarm was raised by paramedics about 7.40am today. He was taken to Gold Coast University Hospital, where he remains in strict isolation while further tests are undertaken. Dr Gerrard, a world-renowned infectious diseases expert, said the man would remain isolated, in line with universal infection control procedures. He said the recently completed hospital had been designed to accommodate patients with infectious diseases. University of Queensland virologist Associate Professor Ian Mackay said on Thursday even if the man did test positive for Ebola, the risk to public health was "virtually zero".

"If a patient was very, very sick and at late stage in Ebola, people close to him for a long period of time may be at risk but the way it looks at the moment, that's extraordinarily unlikely," he said. He said the disease was spread through bodily fluids, largely blood, vomit and faeces. It is not an airborne virus and strict protective and isolation measures are purely to prevent health workers coming into contact with bodily fluids, Associate Professor Mackay said. "There is a high viral load in these fluids, a lot more than some other viruses, so it spreads very easily," he said. A Queensland Health spokeswoman said earlier on Thursday the man on the Gold Coast had reported Ebola-like symptoms but stressed Ebola symptoms were initially similar to those of the flu.

She said the hospital was well prepared for an Ebola infection, as the federal health authorities recently handing out protocols for all hospitals to follow in the event of someone contracting the virus. She added the Gold Coast University Hospital had in recent weeks also established the Ebola Virus Disease Working Group to prepare for the unlikely event of an outbreak. Gold Coast Health acting chief executive Damian Green said in a statement on Thursday morning the man ws being assessed in line with universal infection control procedures. "The Gold Coast University Hospital has been designed to accommodate patients with infectious disease," he said. "Universal infection control procedures are in place and there is limited risk to patients and staff."