France has confirmed its first case of Ebola in a doctor who returned from a humanitarian mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the country's health ministry announced. The patient, who had been working in an area affected by the ongoing outbreak, is now in a stable condition at a specialist facility.
Patient isolated and contacts traced
The health ministry stated that all precautionary measures, including isolation, were taken upon the patient's arrival. The transfer to the hospital was conducted under secure conditions to prevent any risk of contamination. Authorities are tracing the patient's contacts, who will be required to isolate at home for 21 days. The ministry emphasized that the risk to the general European public is very low.
Outbreak in the DRC and Uganda
The Ebola outbreak is centered in Ituri province in northeastern DRC, where authorities are working to contain the virus. As of June 21, the DRC health ministry reported 1,048 confirmed cases and 267 deaths, with 112 recoveries. Neighboring Uganda has recorded 20 cases and two deaths. The World Health Organization (WHO) declared the outbreak on May 15 and subsequently declared a public health emergency of international concern. Experts believe the virus was circulating undetected for weeks, suggesting the outbreak may be larger than confirmed cases indicate.
Challenges in humanitarian response
The humanitarian response has been complicated by aid cuts and conflict in North and South Kivu provinces, south of Ituri, where the Rwanda-backed M23 rebel group operates. Ebola cases have also been detected in those areas. Abdirahman Mahamud, a WHO official, noted on Tuesday that this outbreak has the largest number of confirmed cases within the first month of any Ebola outbreak. He added that local resistance, which included attacks on hospitals and treatment centers, is waning. "More and more communities are aware of the risk of Ebola and are asking for tools to support and protect themselves," Mahamud said.
Bundibugyo virus and outbreak projections
The current strain is the rare Bundibugyo virus, for which no vaccine or approved treatment exists. Modeling by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) suggests this outbreak could become the largest on record. The previous largest outbreak was in West Africa from 2014 to 2016, infecting over 28,000 people and causing more than 11,000 deaths. This is the DRC's 17th Ebola outbreak since the virus was first detected in the country in 1976. Scientists believe Ebola spreads to humans from infected African fruit bats and then between humans through direct contact with blood or body fluids.
Symptoms and recent cases
Initial symptoms include fever, exhaustion, muscle pain, headaches, and sore throat, which may progress to vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, rash, and impaired kidney and liver function. A US citizen treated for Ebola in Germany recovered and was discharged earlier this month after testing negative for the virus on May 30. The US government had proposed building an Ebola quarantine facility in Kenya, which has never recorded any cases. However, Kenya's health minister said on Tuesday that construction would stop following a high court order that authorities had initially disregarded.
