The risk of Ebola virus appearing in Australia remains small but continued vigilance and good infection control are critical to keeping it that way, according to a perspective published in the Medical Journal of Australia.

Dr Grant Hill-Cawthorne and coauthors from the Marie Bashir Institute for Infectious Diseases and Biosecurity at the University of Sydney wrote that the current Ebola outbreak in West Africa is the largest ever recorded, currently involving 3685 (probable, confirmed and suspected) cases and 1841 deaths (WHO update, 31 August).

"The species circulating in West Africa, Zaire ebolavirus, carries the highest mortality of the five known species", the authors wrote.

"Symptoms of Ebola virus disease (EVD) include fever, myalgia, severe diarrhoea and vomiting and, in some instances, internal and external haemorrhaging."

Beyond physical symptoms, however, Ebola also has social impacts, including stigmatisation of patients and food insecurity due to the isolation of quarantined villages, they wrote.

The risk to areas outside West Africa comes from spread via infected travellers, however, "Australia is well prepared for such a possibility", the authors wrote.

The federal Department of Health provides extensive guidance, and state departments have issued risk assessment guidelines and management algorithms.

"The diagnosis of EVD should be considered in at-risk patients (defined as those with fever and history of travel to an affected area within 21 days of onset) and expert medical advice sought", the authors wrote.

At-risk patients should be isolated and health care workers should use appropriate protective gear. "The risk to Australia remains small; no cases of EVD have been documented here", they wrote. "However, continued vigilance for patients who fit the case definition, followed by their prompt isolation, is essential to prevent potential local transmission of the disease.

"While Ebola virus is a scary proposition, with good infection control and vigilant health authorities, outbreaks will not occur in this country.

"Instead, we need to focus our efforts on assisting the global response to the crisis in West Africa."