UK national tests positive for Ebola virus in DR Congo

What the report says

A British national in the Democratic Republic of Congo has tested positive for Ebola, according to the UK government, in what BBC Africa reports is the first confirmed case of a UK citizen contracting the virus during the country’s current outbreak. The person’s identity and exact condition were not disclosed in the report, and the Foreign Office did not say whether they would be flown back to the UK for treatment.

The government said existing procedures for managing Ebola cases had been activated and stressed that the risk to the UK public remains low. BBC Africa noted that imported Ebola cases in the UK are rare and have previously involved health workers. The report also said the UK has had only a small number of confirmed Ebola cases overall, with no deaths recorded in the country.

The outbreak in DR Congo, which began in May, has become the deadliest in the country’s history and has caused more than 5,000 deaths, according to the BBC’s reporting. The article said the epidemic has exceeded 10,000 confirmed cases and is being driven by the Bundibugyo strain, for which there is no approved vaccine. Ebola spreads through contact with infected bodily fluids and can cause severe illness or death without prompt treatment.

Reuters, cited by the BBC, reported that the patient may be a healthcare worker and could be brought to Britain, but BBC News said it had not seen the internal document on which that claim was based.