France has confirmed its first positive case of Ebola virus disease on its territory, involving a doctor who recently returned from a humanitarian mission in an area of the Democratic Republic of Congo
(DRC) where the virus is currently circulating.
The French Ministry of Health, Families, Autonomy, and Persons with Disabilities announced on Wednesday that the patient had been immediately admitted to a specialised medical facility and was in stable condition.
In a statement, the ministry said, “The Ministry of Health, Families, Autonomy, and Persons with Disabilities today confirmed the identification of the first positive case of Ebola virus disease in France.”
The patient had returned from the area where authorities are battling a rapidly expanding Ebola outbreak.
French authorities said all precautionary measures were implemented as soon as the patient arrived in the country.
According to the ministry, the patient was transferred under secure conditions to a specialised healthcare facility equipped to manage highly transmissible infectious diseases.
The individual is being treated under strict biological safety protocols, including isolation in a negative-pressure room and the use of dedicated equipment and procedures.
“The health authorities are fully mobilised, and the situation is being continuously monitored,” the statement, as shared by BNO News, mentioned.
Officials added that a comprehensive epidemiological investigation has been launched to identify anyone who may have come into contact with the patient.
Those identified as contacts will be informed by the regional health agency, placed under home isolation for 21 days and closely monitored throughout the observation period.
The ministry stressed that all necessary measures, including the patient’s isolation, were taken immediately upon arrival in France to prevent any risk of contamination.
WHO EMERGENCY DECLARATION
The confirmed case comes weeks after the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) on May 17 due to the active circulation of the Ebola virus in Ituri Province in the DRC.
French authorities noted that the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) currently assesses the risk of infection as low for European residents and travellers visiting areas of active transmission, and very low for the wider European population.
The ministry also said dedicated monitoring measures are in place for French humanitarian workers returning from affected regions.
The announcement coincides with a worsening Ebola outbreak in eastern Congo, where confirmed infections have now exceeded 1,000.
According to figures released by Congo’s Ministry of Health, 1,003 confirmed cases have been recorded since the outbreak was declared on May 15.
The death toll has reached 254, while at least 100 patients have recovered.
Health authorities said 365 patients are currently receiving treatment in hospitals or remaining in isolation.
The outbreak, concentrated in Ituri Province, is caused by the rare Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus, for which there are currently no vaccines or specific treatments.
Officials have warned that the actual number of infections could be significantly higher than reported and that the outbreak may not yet have reached its peak.
Meanwhile, authorities continue to face major difficulties in tracing people exposed to the virus. Congo’s Health Ministry said contact-tracing coverage currently stands at only 55 per cent.
Officials have yet to identify the outbreak’s patient zero and are attempting to trace more than 35,000 people who have come into contact with infected individuals.
