France has recorded its first confirmed case of Ebola virus disease, involving a doctor who recently returned from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where a major outbreak is ongoing.
The French Health Ministry announced on Wednesday that the infected patient, a medical worker with an international humanitarian organisation, arrived in Paris on a commercial flight from Kinshasa while showing only mild symptoms, including headaches.
Authorities said the patient’s condition worsened slightly during the flight, prompting immediate isolation upon arrival. The case was confirmed shortly after, and the patient is currently reported to be in a stable condition with a low viral load.
Health officials have begun tracing all possible contacts linked to the patient, though they stressed that the risk of wider transmission remains low due to swift containment measures.
According to the ministry, this is the first time Ebola has been detected on French territory. During the 2014 West Africa outbreak, France only received patients who were diagnosed abroad and later transferred for treatment.
The infected doctor is reportedly affiliated with ALIMA (The Alliance for International Medical Action), a humanitarian medical organisation operating in Ebola-affected regions.
The current outbreak in eastern DRC, declared in May, has already recorded over 1,000 cases and more than 260 deaths, with health experts warning that the real figures may be higher due to limited access to remote areas.
Officials also noted that the strain involved does not have an approved vaccine, unlike previous Ebola outbreaks caused by the Zaire strain, which was covered by vaccines developed in recent years.
Despite concerns, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) maintains that the risk to the general public in Europe remains very low.
