The UK Health Security Agency said a British humanitarian worker is being monitored at a London hospital after being ‘exposed’ to Ebola while on a trip in DR Congo
Ebola could be in the UK as a suspected case is being monitored at a London hospital after a person was “exposed” to the disease in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The UK Health Security Agency said a British humanitarian worker came into contact with Ebola when they were working in the African nation as part of a humanitarian organisation.
The male patient was evacuated from the country on a chartered flight as a precautionary measure, the agency added. He is now being “monitored and assessed” at a hospital by specialists in London, and is not currently displaying any symptoms.
The agency said in a statement: “The individual is not currently displaying any symptoms and remains well, but as a precautionary measure they have been evacuated on a flight chartered solely for the evacuation.
“They are now being assessed and monitored in isolation by infectious disease specialists at a London hospital. The incubation period of Ebola ranges from two to 21 days and the individual will be closely monitored and required to isolate throughout this period.”
There are no confirmed cases of Ebola in the UK and the risk to the general public remains low. Richard Pebody, director of epidemic and emerging infections at the UKHSA, said: “This individual has been transferred out of an abundance of caution, and we’re pleased they remain well.”
The last time Britain had an Ebola case was back in 2015 when three health workers returned from Africa with the disease. Ebola’s incubation period ranges from two to 21 days and the infected person will be required to isolate for this time.
The Ebola outbreak in the DR Congo has been ongoing for weeks, and it is said to be spreading “substantially faster” than those before. The country’s health ministry said the disease so claimed 930 lives so far after 2,344 cases were reported last Saturday.
There have reportedly so far been 20 confirmed cases outside of DR Congo causing two deaths, one in Uganda and the other in France. The Democratic Republic’s Ministry of Health said on Monday: “Patient care and support capacities are consolidating, with 22 new recoveries recorded in 24 hours.”
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has warned that the risks posed by a rare Ebola strain are still “very high” and that the spread is linked to several different factors.
While the deadly Bundibugyo strain has seemingly been brought under control in Uganda, the lethal virus is still spreading across neighbouring DR Congo, which is also experiencing mass unrest due to conflict between the national army and rebel groups.
According to WHO: “The risk in the Democratic Republic of the Congo remains assessed as very high due to ongoing transmission and the continued expansion of the outbreak into new health zones, increasing the potential for further national and regional spread.”
While many factors are contributing to the continued spread of the Bundibugyo strain, WHO officials have stated that the conflict in the region is central to the issue.
According to the health body, the fact that people are being forced to continually move to avoid the violence, as well as the fact that food and clean water supplies have been impacted, have all contributed to the spread.
A WHO report explained: “The outbreak continues in a complex humanitarian and conflict-affected environment, characterized by highly mobile and often displaced populations, many of whom have limited access to basic services, including food, clean water, shelter, health care and protection.”
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