HEALTH chiefs confirmed they have traced almost 60 people who had close contact with Ebola nurse Pauline Cafferkey.

Relatives, friends, healthcare workers and community contacts are among the 58 identified.

Forty people were confirmed as having contact with the nurse's bodily fluids and 25 of them received a vaccine.

However, 15 others either refused the vaccine or had previous medical conditions which stopped them from getting the vaccine.

It comes after Ms Cafferkey's family said doctors "missed a big opportunity" to spot she had fallen ill again.

She is in an isolation unit in London after tests indicated the Ebola virus is still present in her body.

The 39-year-old, from South Lanarkshire, was diagnosed with Ebola in December after returning to Glasgow from Sierra Leone via London.

A statement from the health board said: "The rVSV-ZEBOV vaccine offered is currently being trialled with the World Health Organisation and has been tested around 7000 people during the recent outbreak of Ebola virus infection in Guinea.

"It is an unlicensed vaccine, currently being trialled.

"Forty of the 58 close contacts were confirmed as having had direct contact with Pauline’s bodily fluids and were offered the vaccine in line with criteria set out by the expert group.

"Twenty-five of them accepted the vaccine and15 have either declined the vaccine or were unable to receive it due to existing medical conditions."

Health board bosses confirmed all 58 close contacts are being "closely monitored".

The statement added: "This includes a period of 21 days since their last exposure where they will have their temperature taken twice daily, restrictions placed on travel and, in the case of healthcare workers they have been asked not to have direct patient contact during this period.

"The 25 who were vaccinated will undergo additional monitoring because the vaccine is still being evaluated."