A British man in the Democratic Republic of Congo will be brought back to the UK for treatment after testing positive for Ebola, the Government has said.
The patient, identified as a healthcare worker by the news agency Reuters, is expected to be flown back to Britain by medical evacuation, though it is not clear when the flight will take place.
Government Confirms Activation of Procedures
A Government spokesperson said: “A British citizen currently in the DRC has tested positive for Ebola.
“The UK has well-established procedures for dealing with cases like this, and those processes have been activated.
“Further information will be shared in due course as appropriate. The risk to the UK public from Ebola remains low.”
Outbreak Context and Historical Cases
Some 5,000 people have died in the ongoing outbreak of the rare but deadly disease in DR Congo, West Africa.
Only four cases of Ebola have ever been confirmed in the UK, including three involving health workers who responded to the outbreak in West Africa between 2014 and 2015.
