A British national in the Democratic Republic of Congo has tested positive for Ebola, the UK government confirmed. The spokesperson stated that the UK has established procedures for such cases and that the risk to the public remains low.
This marks the first confirmed case of a UK national contracting Ebola during the current outbreak in DR Congo, which has resulted in over 5,000 deaths. The Foreign Office has not confirmed if the patient will be repatriated to the UK for treatment. However, a British national exposed to the virus in July was flown back for medical care, a practice followed for previous infected nationals abroad.
Reuters reported, citing an internal document, that the patient is a healthcare worker and is expected to be brought to the UK. The UK government reiterated that established procedures are in place and that further information will be provided as appropriate. The most recent outbreak, which began in May, has recorded over 10,000 confirmed cases and has a reported fatality rate of 48.6% as of the end of last month, making it the deadliest in the country's history.