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 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 within 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.
Sebastien 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 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 (Africa CDC) 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.
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