France has recorded its first confirmed case of Ebola virus disease, with health authorities tracing the infection to a doctor who recently returned from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
The French health ministry announced the development on Tuesday, describing it as the first time the highly infectious viral disease has been detected in the country.
According to AFP, the patient was identified shortly after arriving in France from the DRC, where an Ebola outbreak has been ongoing for months.
Health officials said the doctor was isolated immediately upon arrival, before laboratory tests later confirmed the infection.
The ministry said the case was detected in mainland France and stressed that containment measures were activated promptly to prevent any potential spread of the virus.
Sébastien Lecornu, France’s prime minister, said authorities were monitoring the situation “very closely” and working to ensure that all necessary public health protocols were followed.
The case marks the first confirmed Ebola infection reported outside Africa since the latest outbreak began in Central Africa.
The current outbreak has primarily affected the Democratic Republic of the Congo, while Uganda has also recorded infections.
The DRC declared its 17th Ebola outbreak on May 15 following a series of unexplained deaths in the eastern province of Ituri.
In June, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention reported that Uganda and the DRC had recorded a combined 894 confirmed Ebola cases and 204 deaths.
Ebola is a severe viral haemorrhagic fever that spreads through direct contact with the bodily fluids of infected persons. Symptoms often include fever, fatigue, muscle pain, vomiting and, in severe cases, internal and external bleeding.
French health authorities have not disclosed further details about the patient but said surveillance and contact-tracing measures are underway.
