Preparedness is crucial for safe care of Ebola patients and to prevent onward transmission in Europe - outbreak control measures are needed at its roots in West Africa.

Recent events related to the current outbreak of Ebola virus disease (EVD) in West Africa seemingly indicate inevitable problems that Europe has to face: an individual became symptomatic from Ebola virus disease only after having arrived in a non-affected country [1], and healthcare workers became infected with Ebola while caring for patients, either in West Africa or in non-affected countries where they had been medically evacuated [2–4]. Moreover, media enquiries and reports reveal concern among the general public.