News: Universities cleaners in Britain told to look out for blood & vomit as students from Ebola-hit countries resume

University cleaners have been warned to look out for blood and vomit as an estimated 20,000 students return from West Africa for the start of term.

Universities the length and breadth of the country have drawn up emergency measures to monitor the highest-risk students for up to three weeks - the incubation period of the Ebola virus.

Special attention is being paid to those who may be sharing bathrooms and kitchens, but officials stressed they were sensitive to any backlash against West African students.

About 20,000 students from West African countries affected by Ebola are studying at British universities, the Sunday Times reports.

Around 17,000 of these are from Nigeria, however, where the outbreak is said to have been contained.

'Most universities are making sure cleaners are briefed on the risks,' Fay Sherrington, a student services manager at Lancaster University told the Sunday Times.

'They have more chance of coming into contact with bodily fluids because they are cleaning bathrooms in residences.'