Saudi man dies of Ebola-like symptoms in Jeddah

A Saudi man, who contracted the deadly Ebola virus after returning from Sierra Leone, has died in an isolation ward in a Jeddah hospital.

The 40-year-old returned on Sunday from Sierra Leone, a hot spot for the deadly outbreak, when he fell ill showing Ebola-like symptoms. At least 286 people have died from Ebola in the African country.

The man was the first person to be hospitalized in the Middle East for testing.

He succumbed to the virus early on Wednesday in quarantine.

The Health Ministry had reportedly submitted the patient’s samples to a US laboratory for testing.

Ebola, which has no proven vaccine or treatment, has killed over 900 people.

UN officials say the number of people who have contracted the deadly virus has risen to 1,717.

The outbreak of the virus has mainly affected Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria and Sierra Leone.

People from other areas of the world, including the United States, have contracted the deadly virus after visiting the West African nations.

The virus spreads through direct contact with infected blood, feces or sweat. It can be also spread through sexual contact or the unprotected handling of contaminated corpses.

Ebola was first discovered in the Democratic Republic of Congo in 1976 in an outbreak that killed 280 people.