French health ministry confirms Ebola virus in patient who worked in Congo

A positive case of Ebola virus has been identified in France in a patient traveling back from Congo, the French Ministry of Health said Wednesday.

The individual, who has not been identified, returned from a humanitarian mission in one of the virus transmission zones in Congo and was taken into care at a specialized facility in France. The person is in stable condition, the ministry said.

The Congolese health ministry said Wednesday there are 1,094 confirmed cases of Ebola, including 277 confirmed deaths. The Ebola outbreak caused by the rare Bundibugyo virus does not yet have any vaccines or treatment.

Officials admit there could be far more cases they don’t know about and the peak of the outbreak, which was declared May 15, could still lie ahead.

All precautionary measures, including the patient’s isolation, were taken upon their arrival in France, the health ministry said, adding that their transfer to a hospital was carried out under secure conditions to prevent any risk of contamination.

“An in-depth epidemiological investigation is underway to identify individuals who may have been in contact with the patient,” the ministry said, adding that a regional health agency will closely monitor them during a 21-day home isolation.

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