PARIS, France, Jun 24 — France has confirmed its first case of Ebola – a doctor who had returned from a humanitarian mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

📻 Breaking It Down

The doctor was “immediately admitted to a specialised facility” and is in a stable condition, the French health ministry said on Wednesday.

DR Congo announced an Ebola outbreak last month, but experts believe the virus had been circulating for weeks previously.

More than 260 people are confirmed to have died from the virus in the central African country, while 1,000 people have been infected.

📌 What You Need to Know

This is the first Ebola case to have been confirmed in Europe, although  an American doctor who tested positive in DR Congo was treated at a German hospital  last month.

DR Congo’s neighbour, Uganda, has also confirmed Ebola cases. The World Health Organization (WHO) says 20 people are known to have been infected there and two deaths have been confirmed.

In its statement on Wednesday, France’s health ministry stressed that the risk to the population was “very low”.

It added that authorities were working to trace people who may have been in contact with the doctor.

Healthcare workers are especially at risk from Ebola, which is spread through bodily fluids.

The current Ebola outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo species of the virus, for which there is currently no vaccine.

📰 Source: Capital FM Kenya