The spectre of Ebola is back. And it is heading for Westminster. Brazil has two patients under observation.
Suspected cases. The bugbear of every health ministry is now a live wire in London. Border Force has been put on alert.
Health checks at ports and airports have been tightened. Quietly. Without fanfare.
But the message is clear. Downing Street is not taking chances. The Lobby is buzzing.
Whispers of a Cobra meeting. The Cabinet Office is cagey. Official line?
Standard procedure. But we know better. This is not standard.
This is a drill for the real thing. The last time Ebola hit the headlines, it was a near miss. This time?
The PM's ratings are fragile. A health crisis could tip the scales. Labour is watching.
Shadow Health Secretary is poised. Backbenchers are jittery. They remember 2014.
The panic. The travel bans. The political fallout.
Brazil's move to monitor these patients is a signal. The WHO is on high alert. But the real action is here.
In Whitehall. Where the game is played. The question on every MP's lips: Is this a storm in a teacup or the beginning of something worse?
The data is inconclusive. The polling is non-existent. But the mood is tense.
The Lobby is working its sources. Expect leaks. Expect briefings.
Expect the usual dance. For now, the borders are tightened. The checks are in place.
But the game is only just beginning.
