A 57-year-old woman is being tested for ebola after returning to Australia from Sierra Leone, health officials have confirmed.

She arrived back in Australia at the weekend after working as a nurse in an ebola hospital in the West African country.

The woman followed health rules and has not mixed with anyone since Tuesday when she returned to her home in Cairns, Queensland.

"This morning she rang up ... because she developed a low-grade fever of 37.6C," said Chief Health Officer Dr Jeanette Young. "We felt it important that she come into the Cairns hospital and be tested.

"We don't know whether she has that (ebola), but she's been exposed to people with the disease while working in Sierra Leone."

Dr Young said the woman had been feeling well when she landed back in Australia and only started feeling sick today.

She is still at the Cairns hospital but her blood is being flown to Brisbane to confirm whether or not she has the deadly virus.

Results are expected in the next few hours.