A doctor sent to West Africa Sierra Leone to combat Ebola has been diagnosed with the disease, reports said Tuesday.

Dr. Felix Baez Sarria was sent on a 165-member medical team from Cuba to combat the disease. The World Health Organization recommended that he gets transferred to a special unit in Geneva although he is currently undergoing treatment by British doctors.

Cuba won global praise for sending at least 256 medical workers to the three West African countries plagued by the virus, Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea.

The medical staff sent to help Ebola patients received weeks of instruction in protective measures and equipment. State officials have emphasized the medics' high state of readiness for the mission.

The Cubans got at least two extra weeks of additional training once they reached Africa, before heading into the field. They were to be quarantined in Africa for weeks at the end of their six-month mission before returning to Cuba.

Reports show that the internal medicine specialist, Baez, came down with a high fever on Sunday and was diagnosed with Ebola the following day.

Cuban officials did not immediately release any information about the case although he is the first doctor to have been reported to have been diagnosed with Ebola from the island.

The health workers were sent to Africa as part of a 50-year-old strategy that puts doctors on the front lines of the country's foreign policy.

Cuba is one of the largest global contributors of medical workers to fight against Ebola. The island's commitment drew rare praise from the U.S. and focused worldwide attention on Cuba's unique program of medical diplomacy.

The island currently has over 50,000 medical workers in more than 60 countries. Many of the missions are in Brazil.

Most Cuban doctor's salaries do not top $75 a month despite recent pay raises.

Related