By Ahmed Abdelsalam
A British health worker who contracted Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo has been flown to the UK for treatment at a specialist infectious diseases unit.
First UK case in current outbreak
The unidentified man landed at RAF Northolt on Thursday and was transferred to the Royal Free Hospital in north London. This marks the first confirmed case of a UK national infected during the recent Ebola outbreak in DR Congo, which has caused more than 5,000 deaths.
Low public risk, established procedures
A UK government spokesperson said well-established procedures are in place and the risk to the public remains low. The Royal Free Hospital previously treated three health workers evacuated during the 2014-2015 West Africa outbreak.
Outbreak context and vaccine developments
Since the outbreak began in May, over 10,000 confirmed cases have been recorded in DR Congo, making it the second deadliest on record. The fatality rate stands at 48.6%. The outbreak is driven by the Bundibugyo variant. The World Health Organization has recommended adding two candidate vaccines, developed by the University of Oxford and Serum Institute of India, and by Moderna, to an ongoing clinical trial, pending approval by Congolese authorities.
