Health · Public Health & Disease · 2 hrs ago
British health worker with Ebola expected to be evacuated from DR Congo
The UK government confirmed that a British healthcare worker in DR Congo has Ebola.
The worker was in the country with a humanitarian organisation supporting the response to an outbreak of the rare Bundibugyo strain.
An official document says the patient is stable and is expected to be evacuated to the UK for specialist treatment, though the UK government has not confirmed the transfer publicly.
The outbreak began in May and has caused more than 10,000 confirmed cases; reported death totals differ, ranging from nearly 5,000 to more than 5,000.
It is the first case involving a British national in this outbreak and is part of the second-largest Ebola outbreak on record.
UK authorities say the risk to the public remains low and that procedures are in place to manage imported cases.
If the evacuation goes ahead, the patient is expected to be treated in a specialist infectious disease unit, with no expected disruption to travel or trade.
A British healthcare worker in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has tested positive for Ebola, the UK government confirmed.
The patient is in stable condition and is expected to be medically evacuated to the UK for specialist treatment, according to an official document seen by Reuters.
The patient was sent to the country by a humanitarian organisation to support the outbreak response.
The UK government says the risk to the public remains low.
The outbreak has recorded more than 10,000 cases and nearly 5,000 deaths, according to reports cited by the outlets.
- Who
- An unnamed British healthcare worker.
- What
- The worker tested positive for Ebola and is expected to be medically evacuated to the UK for specialist treatment.
- When
- The case was reported on 4 November 2026. The patient was expected to arrive in the UK on Wednesday or Thursday.
- Where
- The patient is in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and is expected to be taken to the UK.
- Why
- The patient was sent by a humanitarian organisation to support the response to the outbreak.
UK government
Dr Jean Kaseya
Public health risk
UK government
The government said the risk to the UK public remains low and that procedures for handling cases have been activated.
Dr Jean Kaseya
Kaseya warned that Ebola could spread internationally and urged countries to prepare.
The current Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo began.
France reported a confirmed case linked to the outbreak in a doctor returning from a humanitarian mission.
The UK government confirmed that a British national in the Democratic Republic of the Congo had tested positive for Ebola.
The patient was expected to arrive in the UK for specialist treatment, according to an official document.
- Patient
- British healthcare worker; identity not disclosed
- Condition
- Stable
- Expected arrival
- Wednesday or Thursday
- Outbreak cases
- More than 10,000
- Outbreak deaths
- Nearly 5,000
- UK confirmed cases since 1976
- Four
3 sources
What people are saying
The UK has well-established procedures for dealing with cases like this, and those processes have been activated.
The risk to the UK public from Ebola remains low.
We don’t want to see the UK and other countries become the hotspot.