A British man who tested positive for Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo has been returned to the United Kingdom for medical care. The patient, identified only as a health worker, landed at RAF Northolt before being transferred to a specialist infectious diseases unit at the Royal Free Hospital in north London.
This incident represents the first confirmed case of a UK national contracting Ebola during the ongoing outbreak in the DRC. The virus has caused more than 5,000 deaths in the region since the outbreak began in May. According to the source, the current situation is the second deadliest recorded spate of infections, trailing only the West Africa epidemic of the 2010s.
Evacuation and Hospital Care
The patient was transported directly from the airbase to the Royal Free Hospital. The facility has prior experience managing such cases, having successfully treated three health workers who were evacuated during the West Africa Ebola crisis between 2014 and 2015. In total, there have been only four confirmed cases of the virus in the UK. One case occurred in 1976 following a laboratory incident, while the other three involved health workers responding to the West Africa outbreak.
A UK government spokesperson stated earlier this week that there are “well-established procedures for dealing with cases like this.” The spokesperson emphasized that the risk to the general public remains low.
Outbreak Details and Treatment
The ongoing outbreak in the DRC is driven by the Bundibugyo variant of the virus. This variant carries a reported fatality rate of 48.6 percent as of late last month. Ebola causes serious illness and death, with early symptoms including vomiting and diarrhoea. The disease can progress to organ failure and internal bleeding. It spreads through contact with infected bodily fluids such as blood or vomit.
While there is no approved vaccine specifically for this variant, the World Health Organization has recommended adding two new candidate drugs to an ongoing clinical trial. The vaccines, one developed by the University of Oxford and the Serum Institute of India, and another by Moderna, will join the trial once approved by Congolese health authorities. This will mark the first time jabs designed to protect against the Bundibugyo virus are tested during an active outbreak.
Since the outbreak began, cases have also been confirmed in Kenya, Nigeria, and Uganda. The patient’s evacuation highlights the international response to containing the spread of the virus in the region.
Source: BBC
