A Cuban doctor treating Ebola-infected patients in Sierra Leone has tested positive for the deadly virus and is expected to be flown to Geneva for treatment, health officials said on Wednesday.

Dr. Felix Baez, 43, an internal medicine specialist, is one of 165 Cuban health care workers deployed to Sierra Leone last October to aid medical efforts against Ebola, which has claimed the lives of over 5,400 people.

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Baez had tested positive for the virus on Monday and was being monitored by a British medical team at an Ebola treatment facility in the capital Freetown, when World Health Organization (WHO) officials decided to evacuate the doctor, according to the Cuban Ministry of Health.

Baez is expected to arrive in Geneva on Thursday where he will be treated by Ebola-trained medical staff at the University Hopsital of Geneva, a Swiss official said.

Swiss authorities sought to allay fears of a potential outbreak as they reiterated the hospital staff's preparedness and expertise in handling Baez's case.

The University Hospital is ready to receive him in compliance with strict procedures that will ensure the safety of all patients and staff, the official said in a statement.

A Geneva doctor specializing in communicable diseases is making the necessary preparations including organizing the patient's care in a special room far-removed from other wards and outpatient centers, the official added.

"The Swiss population is not at any risk," he emphasized.

According to Reuters, Baez will be flown by a private U.S. carrier in coordination with WHO authorities.

Concern over the treatment of health aid workers who contract Ebola has continued to be one of the major reasons the WHO and other international health groups have difficulty in recruiting the thousands of medical volunteers needed to respond to the pandemic.

Last month, Cuban health volunteer Jorge Juan Rodriguez died of cerebral malaria in Guinea because he was not evacuated in time to seek the specialized treatment he required, the Charlotte Observer noted.

TagsGeneva University Hospital, Felix Baez, WHO, Sierra Leone, Treatment of Ebola-infected health workers