LSHTM expert comments on first Ebola case from DRC outbreak in Europe and how the overall risk to Europe and the UK remains low
It has been reported that a doctor who returned to France from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has been admitted to hospital with Ebola disease.
It is the first confirmed case of Ebola in Europe linked to the ongoing outbreak in DRC. The outbreak, caused by Bundibugyo virus, has led to over 1,000 confirmed cases of Ebola and over 260 confirmed deaths in DRC. Uganda has also confirmed 20 cases and two deaths.
Dr Daniela Manno, Clinical Assistant Professor at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), said: "A case of Ebola disease in a doctor returning from a humanitarian mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has been linked to the ongoing Bundibugyo virus disease outbreak. While this is the first reported case in Europe, its detection is not entirely unexpected given that transmission continues in eastern DRC and international travel between affected areas and Europe occurs regularly.
"Case identification and contact tracing remain challenging in some outbreak-affected areas, meaning that infected individuals may seek healthcare before their exposure has been recognised. Healthcare workers are particularly vulnerable because they may encounter patients in the early stages of Ebola disease, when symptoms are often non-specific and can be mistaken for other common infections, delaying recognition, diagnosis, and the implementation of appropriate infection prevention and control measures.
"However, the overall risk to the general population in Europe and the UK remains low. European countries have well-established protocols for identifying and managing suspected cases of viral haemorrhagic fever. Healthcare facilities should remain vigilant, particularly when assessing travellers arriving from affected areas who present with symptoms compatible with Ebola disease. Rapid identification, isolation, diagnostic testing, contact tracing, and appropriate infection prevention and control measures remain the most effective tools for preventing onward transmission."
Is there a risk of Ebola spreading to the UK?
Although this is a serious outbreak that requires urgent public health action, there is currently no evidence that it poses a significant risk to the UK public. Ebola does not spread through the air in the same way as respiratory viruses such as influenza or COVID-19, and transmission generally requires direct contact with bodily fluids or contaminated materials from an infected person. The main risks remain within affected communities and among healthcare workers or caregivers in close contact with infected individuals.
What is Ebola, how is it spread, and what are the symptoms?
Ebola virus disease is a severe infection caused by viruses of the genus Orthoebolavirus. The virus spreads through direct contact with blood, bodily fluids, or contaminated materials from an infected person, particularly during the later stages of illness. Early symptoms include fever, fatigue, headache, muscle pain, sore throat, vomiting and diarrhoea, while severe disease can progress to bleeding complications, multi-organ failure, and death.
While Ebola remains a serious disease, outbreak prevention, response, and treatment have improved significantly over the past decade. Rapid identification and isolation of cases, contact tracing, infection prevention and control measures, and safe burials are all important components of outbreak control.
How is Ebola treated? What vaccines are available?
There are vaccines available for some viruses causing Ebola disease (although not currently Bundibugyo virus) which can help protect healthcare workers and reduce transmission when deployed rapidly around confirmed cases and their contacts in a strategy known as ring vaccination. Early diagnosis can also allow prompt supportive care, including fluid resuscitation, pain management, and treatment of complications. In addition, specific therapeutics are now available for some Ebola viruses and can substantially reduce mortality when given early.
