France confirms first Ebola infection after doctor returns from Democratic Republic of Congo
A case of the disease caused by the Ebola virus has been detected in France, involving a doctor who recently returned from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), a country currently facing a major epidemic. French health authorities have released information about hemorrhagic fever, which is often fatal.
The French Ministry of Health officially confirmed, in a press release released this Wednesday, June 24, the identification of the first positive diagnosis of Ebola on national soil. In contact with Agence France-Presse (AFP), the ministry specified that the registration took place in mainland France.
The healthcare professional was promptly isolated shortly after arriving in the country, even before the disease was officially diagnosed. As informed by the ministry, all precautionary measures were adopted, including the safe transfer of the patient to a hospital, in order to avoid any possibility of contamination.
The situation is under close monitoring by Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu, according to information from people close to him, cited by AFP.
This episode represents the first time that a case of Ebola virus disease has been diagnosed within France. In 2014, during a significant outbreak in West Africa, two individuals were hospitalized on French territory, but both had already been diagnosed abroad. During that period, some cases were reported in the United States and the United Kingdom.
The current case in France is the first identified outside the African continent in this specific epidemic, which affects not only the Democratic Republic of Congo, but also Uganda. The strain involved is the rare Bundibugyo, for which there is still no vaccine or specific treatment available.
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Public health experts widely consider that the risk of global transmission of the epidemic remains low, given the low contagious nature of the Ebola virus.
The Ministry of Health reiterated that the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) classified the risk of infection as low for European residents and travelers heading to areas with active circulation of the virus, and very low for the European population in general.
An investigation is underway to identify possible contacts of the doctor, who must complete a 21-day home isolation period.
The World Health Organization (WHO) had indicated, in mid-June, that the speed of transmission of the epidemic was increasing in the Democratic Republic of Congo, despite the reinforcement of health response strategies. Official data indicate 896 cases and 232 deaths, however many experts believe that the real scale of the epidemic is probably underestimated, as it affects regions that are difficult to access.
