France has reported its first confirmed case of Ebola virus infection. The patient is a doctor who had been working on a humanitarian mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where an Ebola epidemic was declared, and has since returned to France. This marks the first officially confirmed case of the hemorrhagic fever in Europe, according to BBC News.

The French Ministry of Health stated that the patient was “immediately hospitalized in a specialized facility” and is in stable condition. Authorities are tracing and identifying individuals who may have been in contact with the patient.

The ministry emphasized that the risk of the Ebola virus spreading among the general population is low. “To prevent the risk of infection, all precautionary measures were taken upon the patient’s arrival in the country, including isolation, and he was subsequently transported to the hospital under safe conditions,” the ministry said in a statement.

In May, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. The outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo virus, for which there are currently no approved vaccines or specific treatments. The WHO noted that the outbreak does not meet the criteria for a pandemic, but countries sharing land borders with the DRC are at high risk.

According to the latest data, the number of infected in the DRC has exceeded 1,000, with more than 260 confirmed deaths. The main hotspots are located in three provinces under rebel control, which, according to the WHO, complicates humanitarian aid delivery. The organization reported that 20 people have been infected in Uganda, with two deaths.

Source: www.gazeta.uz