Nurse Who Beat Ebola Admitted to Isolation Unit at London Hospital After Falling 'Critically Ill'

A Scottish nurse who survived the deadly Ebola virus while fighting the epidemic in West Africa last year has reportedly fallen "critically ill" in recent days, a London hospital has announced.

Nurse Pauline Cafferkey was reportedly flown to the Royal Free hospital in London, England this week after falling ill. Although the details of her sickness remain unclear, some officials are suggesting that it may be a recurrence of the deadly Ebola virus that she beat last year, when she became infected while working in West Africa.

"We are sad to announce that Pauline Cafferkey's condition has deteriorated and she is now critically ill. Pauline is being treated for Ebola in the high-level isolation unit at the Royal Free hospital," a statement from the Royal Free hospital said.

Jonathan Ball, a virology professor at University of Nottingham, told NBC News that although it is possible for the Ebola virus to remerge, it is rare.

"We know that Ebola can linger for many months after visible symptoms have cleared. We also know from outbreaks in the past that survivors can show a variety of symptoms, and the debilitating effect of these can last for a very long time, but this is frankly staggering, " Ball told the media outlet.

Dr. Ben Neuman, a virologist at the University of Reading, recently told BBC that the medical team at Royal Free Hospital is in "uncharted territory" by attempting to treat her infection and determine if it is a second appearance of the Ebola virus.

"It may be that the virus has gotten into a place where the immune system can't root it out, and that what we are seeing right now is essentially a frustrated immune system overreacting and basically hurting some of the other organs," Neuman told the BBC.