Now, even India may be affected by the deadly Ebola virus. Scientists have warned that the virus could spread across the world from its West African hotbed within three weeks.
US researchers have calculated the odds of the virus spreading across the world using airline traffic data and Ebola spread patterns.
They estimate there is a 75 per cent chance Ebola will reach French shores by October 24; UK has 50 per cent chance by October 24, Belgium 40 per cent while Spain and Switzerland have lower risks of 14 per cent each, Mail online reported.
Over 3,400 people have died and 7,500 have been infected by the virus in West Africa, the epicenter of the epidemic.
Assuming there is an 80 per cent reduction in travel to the affected regions, the scientists predict France's risk is still 25 per cent, and the UK's is 15 per cent.
The study was published in the journal PLOS.
"This is not a deterministic list, it's about probabilities - but those probabilities are growing for everyone," the Mail quoted Professor Alessandro Vespignani of Northeastern University in Boston, who led the research, as saying.
"It's just a matter of who gets lucky and who gets unlucky. Air traffic is the driver," he added.
"If this thing continues to rage on in West Africa and indeed gets worse, as some people have predicted, then it's only a matter of time before one of these cases ends up on a plane to Europe," the Mail said quoting Dr Derek Gatherer, of Lancaster University, an expert in viruses who has been tracking the epidemic.
Nigeria, Senegal and the U.S. - where the first case was diagnosed on Tuesday - have all seen people carrying the haemorrhagic fever virus.
France is among the countries deemed most likely to be hit next.
Britain is most threatened by the virus, as Heathrow is one of the world's biggest travel hubs, with frequent links to Nigeria.
British Airways and Emirates have suspended some flights but other airlines continue to fly to the region.
Ebola is transmitted via bodily fluids. The virus causes both internal and external bleeding, profuse vomiting and diarrhoea, all of which can contain high concentrations of the infectious virus.
People may not know they are infected since symptoms take between two and 21 days to emerge.
It is therefore feared an affected person could travel to India from Europe without knowing they had the disease and infect others.
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