France has confirmed its first Ebola case linked to the ongoing outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), after a doctor returning from a humanitarian mission tested positive for the virus, Reuters reported, citing French health authorities.
According to the report, the patient was immediately isolated and transferred to a specialized facility under strict safety measures. Authorities have also launched contact tracing while maintaining that the risk to the wider population remains low.
The case comes as the DRC battles its worst Ebola outbreak in terms of confirmed cases recorded within the first month. The outbreak, caused by the rare Bundibugyo strain, was declared on May 15, although health experts believe the virus had been circulating for months before it was detected.
Latest figures released by Congolese authorities show that 1,094 confirmed cases and 277 deaths have been recorded, while 387 patients are under quarantine or receiving treatment and 115 have recovered. The World Health Organization has described the outbreak as the largest first-month Ebola caseload ever recorded in Africa.
French authorities said the patient remains in stable condition and that all necessary precautions have been implemented to prevent further transmission.
English