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Rabat – France has confirmed its first Ebola case linked to the ongoing outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
According to the French Health Ministry, the patient is a doctor who recently returned from a humanitarian mission in Congo. The doctor tested positive for Ebola after arriving in France and has been placed in isolation. Health authorities have also begun tracing people who may have come into contact with the patient.
The ministry said the risk to the general public in France and the rest of Europe remains low. Officials said that strict measures are in place to prevent the virus from spreading.
The case comes as Central Africa faces one of the fastest-growing Ebola outbreaks in recent years.
The current outbreak was officially declared in the Democratic Republic of Congo in May 2026. Since then, more than 1,000 confirmed cases and 267 deaths have been reported, making it the largest Ebola outbreak ever recorded during its first month.
The outbreak is centered in eastern Congo, particularly in Ituri Province, but cases have also been reported in North Kivu and South Kivu. Health officials say the disease has spread quickly because some of the first infections occurred in urban areas rather than isolated villages, which allowed the virus to reach more people.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that the outbreak continues to expand, with sustained transmission and increasing numbers of cases. As of mid-June, Congo had reported 896 confirmed cases and 232 deaths, while neighboring Uganda had recorded 19 confirmed cases and two deaths linked to cross-border transmission.
Health workers are battling the outbreak in a difficult environment due to conflict, displacement, and insecurity. Several affected areas have large populations of internally displaced people, which makes it harder to trace contacts and contain the disease.
The outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, a less common form of the virus. Unlike the Zaire strain, for which approved vaccines exist, there is currently no licensed vaccine specifically available for the Bundibugyo strain. Researchers and international health agencies are working to test promising treatments and vaccine candidates.
International partners have supplied experimental treatments to support clinical trials in Congo, while the WHO and African health authorities continue to strengthen surveillance, testing, contact tracing, and community awareness efforts.
Ebola is a severe viral disease that spreads through direct contact with the bodily fluids of an infected person or contaminated materials. Symptoms often include fever, fatigue, headache, muscle pain, vomiting, diarrhea, and in some cases internal and external bleeding.
Ebola can be deadly without proper medical care. However, early detection, isolation, supportive treatment, and strong public health measures can significantly improve survival rates and help stop transmission.
