Paris – France has reported its first case of Ebola, confirming the infection in a doctor who recently returned from the Democratic Republic of Congo, where an outbreak is ongoing, according to Agence France-Presse.
Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu said he is closely monitoring the situation, according to a statement from his office. The French Health Ministry announced Wednesday that this is the first confirmed Ebola case on the French mainland. The patient is a doctor who was diagnosed after returning from abroad.
Health Minister Stéphanie Rist explained that five passengers who traveled on the same flight as the infected doctor have been identified as possible contacts and are now in precautionary isolation.
The ministry stated that the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control has assessed the risk of transmission as low for Europeans and travelers to outbreak areas, and very low for the general public. The ministry added that all preventative measures were implemented immediately, including isolating the patient and transferring him safely to a hospital to prevent further spread of the virus.