Spanish nurse Teresa Romero survives Ebola; may sue for Excalibur !!

Thousands are dying of Ebola in Africa.  I had posted on a Spanish nurse being quarantined and Spaniards protesting for a dog ….. the  demonstrators clashed with Police authorities too………   Excalibur  is the legendary sword of King Arthur, sometimes attributed with magical powers or associated with the rightful sovereignty of Great Britain- that is the name of the dog too.  The dog belonged to Spanish nurse Teresa Romeros, who was apprehended to have contracted Ebola. Officials  felt that there was the possibility that the dog could spread the virus  but social media and on road campaign called  'SalvemosAExcalibur' – Spanish for 'Let's save Excalibur' spread. Madrid regional government had to obtain a court order to euthanize the dog, saying 'available scientific information' cannot rule out the possibility that Excalibur could spread the virus.

Amidst news that 100-strong army of British military medics will set up Ebola hospital in Sierra Leone to treat victims, the dog Excalibur  became  the focus of animal lovers around the world with hundreds flooding social media with adorable pictures of their pets as part of an international campaign to save the dog. Twitter was awash with photographs of dogs, cats and birds which have been posted alongside the hashtag 'SalvemosAExcalibur'.  Eventually,  Health authorities of Spain went ahead and put down mixed-breed, Excalibur.

Now there is news that the   Spanish nurse, Teresa Romero,  who survived Ebola  is going to demand £120,000 compensation from the government for putting down her dog Excalibur. Ms Teresa Romero, 44, spent a month in isolation after becoming the first person outside Africa to contract the disease while she was caring for a missionary. She is quoted as saying that the worst part of her ordeal was learning her mixed breed dog had been put down, claiming 'he was not given a chance'.

Teresa Romero, 44, spent a month in isolation after becoming the first person outside Africa to contract Ebola. Lawyers for Mrs Romero say the decision to put the animal down last month as she battled the killer disease was 'improvised and taken against medical advice'. Health chiefs in Madrid obtained a court order to sacrifice Excalibur despite an online petition to save it signed by more than 300,000 people.  Daily Mail reports that apart from demanding compensation for her dog through the courts, the nurse is also planning to sue Madrid health chief Javier Rodriguez for defamation.

There were some reports that While Teresa was battling to save her life, she was accused of  hiding information from the doctors who treated her before she was admitted to hospital.  It was also stated that she could have contracted the Ebola virus by not following protocol. Mrs Romero caught Ebola after treating Spanish missionary Manuel Garcia Viejo, 69, who died on September 25 after being infected with Ebola while he treated patients in Sierra Leone. Ms Romero's husband Javier  has also questioned the decision to put the animal down saying he was not to blame 'for anything'.  Another Spanish priest, 75-year-old Miguel Pajares, had died in Madrid in August after being flown back from missionary work in Liberia.

The nurse was quarantined along with 14 other people who had come into contact with her for 21 days - the incubation period for the disease - though all have now been cleared.  The protesters claim that Excalibur was put down without testing while in US,  a dog belonging to a nurse infected with Ebola was quarantined and tested negative, before being released. So  Ms Teresa Romero is back –  and might fight for compensation for the dog.

With regards – S. Sampathkumar.

12^th Nov. 2014.