The World Health Organization says the global risk from the Ebola outbreak centered in the Democratic Republic of Congo remains low, following confirmation of the first case outside Africa. A doctor who had worked in the DRC tested positive in France after flying commercially from Kinshasa.
The patient, showing only headaches initially, was isolated upon landing in Paris and is in stable condition with a very low viral load.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus urged against panic, noting that fewer than 30 Ebola cases have been detected outside Africa in the past 50 years. He stressed that the risk to the rest of the world is low, but the case highlights the dangers for frontline responders, with nearly 80 health workers infected in this outbreak.
The DRC's 17th Ebola outbreak began May 15 in Ituri province, with over 1,000 cases and 267 deaths, a fatality rate of about 25 percent. WHO assesses risk as very high in DRC, high in Uganda and bordering countries. The organization advises countries to support safe deployment of responders and facilitate evacuation if needed.