British citizen tests positive for Ebola in DR Congo as outbreak rages in Africa

A British citizen has tested positive for Ebola, the Foreign Office has confirmed. The individual caught the disease while in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which is battling the largest-ever outbreak of the deadly contagion. The infected Briton has been evacuated to the UK for specialist treatment, according to a document seen by Reuters. They are in stable condition and are expected to arrive on Wednesday or Thursday, before being transferred by a specialist ambulance to a high-consequence infectious disease unit. A UK Government spokesman confirmed: “A British citizen currently in the DRC has tested positive for Ebola.”They added: “The risk to the UK public from Ebola remains low.” The patient, whose identity has not been disclosed, was sent to the DRC by a humanitarian organisation to support the outbreak response. In DR Congo, more than 10,500 confirmed cases and 5,100 deaths have been reported. An outbreak, caused by the Bundibugyo strain of the virus, was declared in May and has spread across eight provinces, with neighbouring Kenya also reporting cases. The fatality rate is around 49 per cent. UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher has warned “the epidemic is killing someone every 30 minutes,” describing it as the fastest-growing Ebola outbreak ever recorded. No vaccine or specific treatment for this strain has been approved. LATEST DEVELOPMENTS Ebola is a severe viral disease transmitted through direct contact with an infected person's bodily fluids. The World Health Organisation estimates it is fatal in around half of cases on average, although mortality rates vary between outbreaks. Its early symptoms — fever, headache and fatigue — closely resemble those of malaria or influenza, making swift identification challenging. These can appear anywhere between two and 21 days after exposure. As the illness advances, patients may suffer vomiting and diarrhoea, which can ultimately lead to organ failure. Several other Europeans have also contracted the virus in recent weeks. Switzerland evacuated an Ebola patient from Nigeria last month. At the same time, France reported its first confirmed case linked to the outbreak in June, involving a doctor who had returned from a humanitarian mission in the DRC. Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter Follow related topics: