Rome, May 18 (IANS/AKI): The Italian male nurse infected with Ebola is still in a critical condition but his health has "slightly" improved, doctors said on Monday at Rome's Spalanzani hospital, where he is being treated.

"His clinical condition has improved slightly. He is alert, has no fever and almost no gastrointestinal symptoms but he still has some breathing problems," said the doctors in a bulletin.

"The patient is continuing with a course of anti-viral drugs, is being fed intravenously and is being rehydrated orally and intravenously."

"His condition remains critical."

The next bulletin on the patient's condition is due on Tuesday.

The 37-year-old nurse was admitted to the Spalanzani hospital on May 13 after falling ill upon returning home after three months in Sierra Leone where he was working for the medical charity Emergency.

Thirteen of the nurse's relatives were quarantined on May 15 as a precautionary measure and three ambulance workers are being monitored.

Italy's Health Minister Beatrice Lorenzin said last week the patient posed no infection risk as he had isolated himself as soon as his symptoms appeared.

The current Ebola epidemic has now killed more than 11,000 people, almost all in West Africa since it was first reported in March 2014 and over 26,720 cases have been reported.

People have died from the disease in Liberia, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Nigeria, the US and Mali.