A patient who has recently returned from west Africa is being tested for ebola at a hospital in Northern Ireland.

The Public Health Authority there has confirmed tests are underway at the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast.

The patient has been in the isolation unit since Friday and tests are being carried out in accordance with national protocols.

It's understood he or she has already tested positive for malaria.

The death toll from the latest ebola outbreak is in the region of 4,000, mainly in west Africa.