A British healthcare worker infected with Ebola is being air‑lifted from the Democratic Republic of Congo to the United Kingdom for specialist care, a government document seen by Reuters confirmed on Monday.
The patient, who was working for a humanitarian organisation, is in stable condition and is expected to arrive in Britain on Wednesday or Thursday. Upon arrival, a specialist ambulance will transfer him to a high‑consequence infectious disease unit for further treatment.
Britain’s government spokesperson told Reuters that the personnel, currently in the DRC, has tested positive for Ebola and that the risk to the UK public is low. Authorities say there will be no disruption to international travel or trade as a result of the evacuation.
The case marks the first involving a British national linked to the current outbreak. Other European nationals have already been infected, but the UK has recorded only four imported Ebola cases since 1976. The Democratic Republic of Congo outbreak remains the second‑largest on record, with more than 10,000 confirmed cases and nearly 5,000 deaths reported by late October.
