A man with a fever who has just returned from Africa is being held in isolation in Colchester General Hospital.

The man, who is in his 50s, presented himself to the accident and emergency department of the hospital at 8.30am yesterday.

A spokesman for Colchester Hospital University NHS Foundation Trust said they had been advised by Public Health England that there was no need to test the patient for Ebola because was a “low risk”.

He said: “The consultant in charge of A&E alerted Public Health England and the patient was put into the isolation unit of the emergency department.

“The man had just returned from Africa via Kenya.

“Public Health England said there is no need to test him because he is low risk.

“He had not been to any of the countries which have Ebola or in contact with any patients with Ebola.

“We understand he had been to swampy areas of Africa and he is being treated as someone who has a fever.”