France has confirmed its first Ebola case after a doctor returning from a humanitarian mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) tested positive for the deadly virus.
According to French health authorities, the doctor was immediately admitted to a specialised medical facility and is currently in a stable condition. Officials have also begun tracing individuals who may have come into contact with the patient.
The development comes as DR Congo continues to battle a major Ebola outbreak that was officially declared last month. Health experts, however, believe the virus had been spreading for weeks before the outbreak was announced.
Reports indicate that more than 260 people have died, while over 1,000 infections have been recorded in the Central African nation.
The case marks the first confirmed Ebola infection in Europe linked to the current outbreak, although an American doctor who contracted the virus in DR Congo was previously treated in Germany.
Neighbouring Uganda has also reported Ebola cases, with authorities confirming infections and deaths linked to the outbreak.
French health officials have sought to reassure the public, stressing that the risk to the general population remains very low. The country has also activated a dedicated monitoring system for aid workers returning from affected regions.
Healthcare workers remain among the most vulnerable groups because Ebola spreads through direct contact with infected bodily fluids.
The current outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus, for which no approved vaccine currently exists.
Health authorities, including the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) and U.S. public health agencies, have warned that the outbreak could become one of the largest in recent history.
Most infections have been recorded in eastern DR Congo, particularly in the provinces of Ituri, North Kivu, and South Kivu, with Ituri accounting for the vast majority of confirmed cases.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has also expressed concern that ongoing conflict and insecurity in eastern DR Congo, including areas controlled by the M23 rebel group, are hampering efforts to contain the outbreak.
Source: BBC
