France has confirmed its first case of Ebola after a doctor returning from a humanitarian mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) tested positive for the virus. Health officials are battling an outbreak in Central Africa that has so far infected more than 1,000 people and killed more than 250.
The French Health Ministry said the doctor was immediately transferred to a specialized treatment facility and is now in stable condition. The risk to the general public is very low, the officials said, and contact tracing efforts are ongoing to identify anyone who may have been exposed.
Outbreak Continues to Worsen in Congo
The Ebola outbreak was officially declared in the DRC on May 15, but health experts believe the virus had been circulating for weeks before authorities detected it.
Congolese health officials said the outbreak has now reached more than 1,000 confirmed cases and that they have reported at least 254 deaths so far. The World Health Organization estimates the case fatality rate as about 26 percent, but officials say this figure could be higher because more than a handful of deaths can’t be ruled out because the investigation is ongoing.
Most infections have been concentrated in the eastern provinces of Ituri, North Kivu and South Kivu. Ituri accounts for more than 90 percent of confirmed cases, making it the epicenter of the outbreak.
A Rare and Challenging Ebola Strain
The current outbreak is being driven by the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus, one of the rarest known variants. Since it was first identified in 2007, the strain has resulted in only a handful of outbreaks.
Unlike the more common Zaire strain, Bundibugyo Ebola has no licensed vaccines or approved treatments. Containment efforts have been much more difficult and the public health system has been put at a disadvantage with contact tracing, isolation and community monitoring.
Health officials in the DRC have only been able to monitor about 58 percent of identified contacts, raising concerns that the virus could continue spreading undetected.
Cases Reported Beyond Congo
The French case is the first confirmed Ebola infection in Europe linked to the current outbreak. An American doctor in the DRC was deployed to Germany last month for treatment but no local transmission was reported.
Neighboring Uganda has also recorded 19 confirmed Ebola cases linked to the outbreak in Congo. There have been two deaths there, but no new infections have been detected since early June.
Global Health Authorities on Alert
Both the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) and international health experts have warned that the current outbreak has the potential to become one of the largest Ebola emergencies in recent years.
France has already set up a specialized monitoring system for humanitarian workers and aid workers coming back from affected regions. Health professionals in Europe are closely monitoring the situation as the virus is still being contained from its source.
Experts say that Ebola is not easily spread like respiratory diseases, but increasing numbers of infections and a lack of proven vaccine against the Bundibugyo strain have raised concerns. With now more than 1,000 confirmed cases and more than 250 deaths, the outbreak remains one of the most serious public health problems in Central Africa today.
