France has isolated five individuals who may have been exposed to Ebola while sharing a flight with a doctor who tested positive for the virus. The doctor had been working in the Democratic Republic of the Congo before returning to France, as stated by French Health Minister Stephanie Rist. The infected doctor, described as an “experienced doctor returning from a mission,” was unaware of his infection and showed no symptoms during the flight.
The doctor, upon experiencing headaches during the flight, alerted authorities upon landing in Paris. He was immediately placed in isolation at a hospital and will remain there for 21 days, the virus’s incubation period. The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control has assessed the risk of infection for individuals in Europe as very low.
In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, there have been 1,118 confirmed Ebola cases with 291 deaths reported by the government. The latest update from the DRC’s Ministry of Communications and Media revealed 122 recoveries and 408 patients under care, with a case fatality rate of 26 percent as of Tuesday. Active epidemiological surveillance has identified 138 suspected cases, with a contact follow-up rate of 77.1 percent.
While the Ituri province remains the outbreak’s epicenter, the South Kivu province has not reported new transmissions since May 26. Efforts in patient care, surveillance, and contact tracing continue in affected areas. Despite the increasing cases in Africa, the global risk from the Ebola outbreak remains low, according to World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
