British citizen tests positive for Ebola in DR Congo 'and will be treated in UK'

A British healthcare worker in the Democratic Republic of Congo has tested positive for Ebola and will reportedly be brought back to the UK for treatment.

Reuters news agency reported that the patient will be flown back to Britain by medical evacuation from DR Congo.

The patient is said to be in a stable condition and is ​expected to arrive in Britain on Wednesday or Thursday, before being transferred to a specialist ambulance then on to an infectious disease unit.

A Foreign Office spokesperson said: "A British citizen currently in ‌the DRC has tested positive for Ebola. ​The risk ⁠to the UK ⁠public from Ebola ​remains low."

Sky News understands there are only two places in the UK the patient could be taken for treatment - the Royal Free Hospital in London or the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle.

British authorities do not expect any disruption to international travel or trade, according to an official document seen by Reuters.

The patient, who remains anonymous, was reportedly sent to DR Congo by a humanitarian organisation to support the country's response to the outbreak.

Sky News has approached UKHSA and FCDO for additional comment.

Several Europeans have previously been infected, but this is the first case involving a British national linked to the current outbreak - the world's second-largest ever.

Data released last week shows the death toll has surpassed 5,000, with over 10,000 people thought to be infected.

There are ​no approved treatments or vaccines to combat ⁠the rare Bundibugyo disease, which has triggered the ongoing outbreak.

Last month, Switzerland evacuated an ‌Ebola patient from Nigeria for treatment.

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In June, France reported that a doctor returning from a humanitarian mission in DR Congo had contracted the virus.

Ebola ​is thought to be fatal in about half of cases on average, though ​mortality rates vary between outbreaks.

Only four confirmed cases have been recorded in Britain since 1976, according to the ⁠UK Health Security Agency.

(c) Sky News 2026: British citizen tests positive for Ebola in DR Congo 'and will be treated in UK'