A British medic who tests positive for Ebola while working on an outbreak response in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has been flown to London for specialist treatment.
The UK government confirms that the unnamed healthcare worker has returned to the country after testing positive for the deadly virus.
In a statement, the government says the medic is receiving treatment at the Royal Free Hospital in London.
The hospital has a high-level isolation unit designed to handle infectious diseases while preventing exposure to the wider public.
It adds that strict safety measures are in place to prevent contact between the patient and members of the public.
Renu Bindra, deputy director of the all-hazards public health response team at the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), says the risk to the public remains low.
“The risk to the wider public remains low,” she says.
The development comes amid a major Ebola outbreak in Africa, which has claimed more than 5,300 lives, with the Democratic Republic of Congo accounting for the vast majority of deaths, according to Africa’s leading health agency.
Meanwhile, Nigeria reported an Ebola case last month involving a 42-year-old Swiss woman whose husband works at the country’s embassy.
The woman was subsequently flown to Geneva, Switzerland, for treatment.
