A humanitarian worker who is a resident in the UK has been medically evacuated to a London hospital after being exposed to the Ebola virus while working in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
The individual, who has not been identified, was treating patients as part of a humanitarian organisation’s response to the Ebola outbreak when they had a “potential healthcare-related exposure.”
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said it had worked with the NHS, the DRC government, and further international health partners to arrange the emergency evacuation as a “highly precautionary measure.”
The highly infectious disease has killed more than 930 people among the 2,344 confirmed infected in the Democratic Republic of Congo since the outbreak was declared on May 15, according to the latest official toll published by the country’s health ministry on July 18.
The evacuated individual was not displaying symptoms but was flown out of the DRC on a plane chartered solely for the evacuation in what the UKHSA emphasised was “an abundance of caution.”
They are now being assessed and monitored in isolation by infectious disease specialists at a hospital in London.
The incubation period of Ebola ranges from two to 21 days.
In a statement, UKHSA officials said that there are currently no confirmed cases of the virus in the UK and the risk to the general public remains low.
However, in June it emerged that the UK’s doctors and nurses were told to check they have sufficient stocks of PPE and be prepared to isolate patients as part of an NHS-wide national alert for Ebola.
A hygiene worker cleans the boots of healthcare workers at an Ebola treatment centre in the DRC. The virus has killed more than 930 people since the outbreak was declared in mid-May, the health ministry said (Photo: BENEDICTION MURHABAZI / AFP via Getty Images)Richard Pebody, Director of Epidemic & Emerging Infections at UKHSA, said: “The risk to the general public remains low. This individual has been transferred out of an abundance of caution, and we’re pleased they remain well.”
The UKHSA works with international partners to ensure that any British residents who may be at risk can be safely returned home for treatment and care.
Last week, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) warned that the virus was spreading faster than efforts to contain it.
“Every delay costs lives,” said Trish Newport, MSF’s emergency programme manager. “We are still chasing the outbreak instead of staying ahead of it.”
Since the outbreak was confirmed on May 15, there have been 20 confirmed cases of Ebola outside the DRC, with two deaths in Uganda and one case in France.
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