A suspected case of Ebola is being monitored at a London hospital after a British national working for a humanitarian organization was potentially exposed to the virus in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) confirmed the individual was evacuated on a chartered flight as a precautionary measure and is currently being assessed by specialists.

The worker is a British resident and is not currently showing symptoms, according to the UKHSA. The incubation period for Ebola ranges from two to 21 days, during which the individual will be required to isolate.

The DRC has been experiencing a significant Ebola outbreak, which has spread substantially faster than previous epidemics. The country's health ministry reported 930 lives lost and 2,344 cases as of Saturday, July 18, 2026. The outbreak was first declared in an eastern region of the DRC on May 15, 2026, and has since become the fastest-growing on record.

Globally, there have been 20 confirmed cases outside the DRC, resulting in two deaths: one in Uganda and one in France. The DRC's Ministry of Health indicated on Monday that patient care capacities are consolidating, with 22 new recoveries recorded in 24 hours.

This situation follows a scare in late June when a patient at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow was evaluated after reportedly returning from an Ebola-affected country and developing symptoms. That patient ultimately tested negative.

Ebola is transmitted through direct contact with blood or bodily fluids of symptomatic individuals or contaminated objects. The current outbreak in the DRC is caused by the Bundibugyo virus, a strain previously seen in 2007 and 2012, which had an estimated mortality rate of 30 percent in those earlier outbreaks.

There is currently no vaccine for the Bundibugyo strain, although scientists at the University of Oxford are working on a jab. Early-stage trials are underway, with volunteers being recruited for a trial expected to begin within weeks. Dr. Katrina Pollock, chief investigator of the trial, stated that such phase one trials are conducted to prepare for precisely these kinds of outbreaks.

The Bundibugyo strain, first identified in western Uganda in 2007 and appearing again in the DRC in 2012, caused limited outbreaks with just over 200 cases and around 66 deaths in total across both events. The virus can be carried by patients for up to 21 days before symptoms appear, at which point experts believe they become infectious.

Richard Pebody, Director of Epidemic & Emerging Infections at UKHSA, emphasized that the risk to the general public remains low. He added that the individual was transferred out of an abundance of caution and is fortunately remaining well.

Britain has not recorded a case of Ebola since 2015, when three health workers returned from Africa with the disease.