France confirms first Ebola case

A French doctor returning from the Democratic Republic of the Congo has become the first confirmed Ebola case in France as the outbreak in Central Africa continues to expand, with more than 1,000 infections and hundreds of deaths reported.

Annahar

Eiffel Tower. (AFP)

France confirmed on Wednesday its first case of Ebola on its territory, involving a doctor who had returned from the Democratic Republic of Congo, where a large-scale outbreak is currently ongoing.

In a statement, the Ministry of Health said, “We confirm today the first confirmed case of Ebola on French territory,” adding in response to questions from AFP that the case was recorded on mainland France.

The ministry stated that the patient has been isolated and that authorities are working to trace individuals who had contact with him. It also noted that the risk to the general European population remains low.

Meanwhile, French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu is monitoring the situation closely, according to his office.

More than 1,000 Ebola cases have been recorded in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where the latest outbreak has claimed the lives of more than 250 people, according to official figures released on Monday.

The country's National Institute of Public Health confirmed 1,003 cases and 254 deaths, representing a fatality rate of 25 percent.

On May 15, a new Ebola outbreak was officially declared. The virus, which causes hemorrhagic fever, has spread across three provinces: Ituri, North Kivu, and South Kivu, home to around 15 million people.

Ebola has also spread to neighboring Uganda, where the World Health Organization has recorded 20 cases and two deaths, despite authorities previously stating earlier this month that the situation was under control.

There is currently no vaccine or treatment available for the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus responsible for the ongoing outbreak.

Ebola, which is transmitted through direct contact and bodily fluids, has caused the deaths of more than 15,000 people across Africa over the past fifty years.

France confirms first Ebola case

France confirms first Ebola case

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