France Reports First Confirmed Ebola Case... Doctor Returned from the Congo

[Financial News] France has reported its first Ebola virus infection, putting local health authorities on alert.
According to a Sky News report on the 24th local time, the Ministry of Health and Social Affairs announced that a French doctor who recently returned home after completing humanitarian relief work in the Democratic Republic of the Congo tested positive for Ebola.
The ministry said the patient was transported to a hospital under tightly controlled security conditions to prevent any risk of transmission, and that the patient's condition is reportedly relatively stable. An in-depth epidemiological investigation is also under way into the patient's movements after returning home, in order to prevent further spread.
A ministry official said, "We are conducting an intensive epidemiological investigation to identify people who may have come into contact with the patient," adding, "The risk of spread to the general public in Europe is very low, as the patient is currently undergoing a 21-day quarantine at home and is being monitored immediately."
Meanwhile, the World Health Organization (WHO) warned that the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is spreading rapidly, recording more confirmed cases in its first month than any previous outbreak.
According to an announcement by the Ministry of Public Health of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the cumulative number of confirmed cases had risen to 1,094 as of the 24th local time, with 277 deaths reported.


jjyoon@fnnews.com Yoon Jae-joon Reporter