OMM Newsroom
A British national in the Democratic Republic of Congo has tested positive for Ebola, the UK government has confirmed, according to the BBC.
A government spokesperson said procedures for handling such cases had been activated and that the risk to the UK public remained low.
This is the first confirmed case of a UK national contracting Ebola during the latest outbreak in DR Congo, which has caused more than 5,000 deaths so far.
The Foreign Office did not say whether the patient would be brought to the UK for treatment. A British national who was exposed to the virus in July was flown back for medical care, as have other UK nationals infected abroad.
Reuters reported, citing an internal document not seen by the BBC, that the latest patient is a healthcare worker and would be brought to the UK.
More than 10,000 cases have been confirmed since the outbreak began in May. It has become the deadliest Ebola outbreak in the country’s history, with a fatality rate of 48.6% reported at the end of last month.
