Get you up to speed: Ebola case reported in France following outbreak that’s killed 267 | News World
A French doctor who recently returned from a humanitarian mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has tested positive for Ebola and is currently isolating in France. The outbreak in the DRC has resulted in nearly 781 infections and 267 deaths, with authorities tracing those who may have come into contact with the patient, while the general risk in Europe remains low.
The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is currently experiencing the largest recorded outbreak of the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, with nearly 781 confirmed cases and 267 fatalities. Contact tracing efforts are severely hampered, achieving only 43% coverage, while infrastructure issues persist, with only one in five health centres in Ituri province having sufficient access to clean water.
France’s health ministry confirmed a French doctor who returned from the Democratic Republic of the Congo has tested positive for Ebola and is currently in isolation, while contact tracing for potential exposures is underway; the general risk in Europe remains low. The World Health Organisation declared a public health emergency last month as Oxfam warned that the actual toll of the outbreak could be much higher, exacerbated by inadequate healthcare infrastructure and violent conflict in the region.
What remains unclear — The exact number of additional Ebola cases expected in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the potential for further spread in Europe is not specified.
Ebola case confirmed in France after humanitarian worker returns from DRC
The outbreak has been raging for over a month now (Picture: Reuters)
A French doctor who was working in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has tested positive for Ebola after returning home.
France’s health ministry said the patient had been on a humanitarian mission and is currently isolating.
Those who may have come into contact with the patient are being traced, and the general risk the outbreak presents in Europe remains low.
Last week, it was revealed that the ‘first line of defence’ against the deadly strain of Ebola has collapsed.
The DRC is facing its largest ever outbreak of the virus, with nearly 781 infected and 267 dead.
But Oxfam has warned that the true toll is likely far higher, as the country’s contact tracing programme and water infrastructure are at breaking point.
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Only one in five health centres in the northeastern province of Ituri, the worst-affected region, has access to enough clean water.
In Mongbwalo, a town of 140,000 people, only two in 10 have access to clean water, and a quarter have access to working hygiene facilities.
North Kivu province is even seeing Ebola cases being identified after the patient has died, unaware they had the illness.
Why is this Ebola outbreak so concerning?
The Red Cross is working to contain the deadly disease (Picture: Reuters)
The strain of Ebolavirus behind this outbreak, known as Bundibugyo, is rare and currently has no vaccine or treatment.
The US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has confirmed this is the largest Bundibugyo outbreak on record.
Meanwhile, the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared a public health emergency last month following the outbreak.
What is Ebola?
Ebola is a rare haemorrhagic fever which spreads through the fluids of infected and dead patients.
Ebola symptoms can start between two and 21 days after infection. They can appear suddenly and include flu-like symptoms, such as a high temperature, extreme tiredness and a headache.
Other symptoms include:
bleeding from the nose, gums or vagina
being sick
diarrhoea and tummy pain
a skin rash
yellowing of the skin and eyes
blood in stools
bruises all over the body
bleeding from the ears, eyes, nose or mouth
muscle pain
sore throat
blood in vomit
Contact tracing – identifying the people an infected person has come into contact with – has just 43% coverage in DRC.
Oxfam fieldwork found that there are just 0.2 doctors per 1,000 people, and some 70 health facilities have been destroyed by conflict.
The years-long violence in DRC has displaced millions, including people in Ituri, complicating contact tracing efforts.
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