Europe will most certainly see more Ebola cases diagnosed in the following days but chances of an outbreak outside West Africa are still slim, World Health Organization (WHO) authorities in the region said on Tuesday.

The first case of Ebola transmission outside West Africa has casted doubts on the continent's capability to contain the spread of the deadly viral disease.

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On Tuesday, Spanish health authorities came under heavy criticism after a Spanish nurse named Teresa Romero contracted the viral infection after caring for two old priests repatriated from West Africa for Ebola.

Opposition parties have called for health minister Ana Mato's resignation, while the executive arm of the European Union, the European Commission, pressed the Spanish government for explanation for possible lapses in handling its recent Ebola cases.

Speaking at a news conference, WHO's European director, Zsuzsanna Jakab, confirmed the spread of the Ebola virus in the region is "unavoidable."

She told Reuters that incidents of importation of Ebola in Europe are likely because of extensive travel from Europe to Ebola-stricken countries and vice versa.

On Monday, scientists who are tracking the spread of the disease projected that before the end of October, France and Europe will most likely see their first cases of Ebola, according to Reuters.

Romero was part of the medical team that saw to the treatment of priest Manuel García Viejo who died on September 25 at Carlos III hospital in Madrid. She reportedly attended to Viejo only on two occasions. First, was when she changed the priest's diapers and second, when she collected his belongings shortly after his death.

Health officials have insisted she wore protective gloves on both occasions and that they followed appropriate measures to ensure the virus will not spread.

Three more people, including Romero's husband, have been put under quarantine since. Fifty other people with whom she has come in contact with are being monitored for possible infection, The New York Times said.

Madrid's regional government has received a court order to euthanize and  incinerate Romero's dog to reduce the risk of possible transmission of the viral infection in humans, USA Today reported.

In a statement, Jakab said health workers caring for repatriated patients are at a high risk of getting infected, but noted that Europe, particularly the western region, is best equipped for responding viral infections like Ebola. 

TagsEbola in Europe, what is ebola, WHO