France detects first Ebola case in returning doctor from DRC

France confirmed its first domestic Ebola infection when a French humanitarian doctor repatriated from the Democratic Republic of the Congo tested positive for the virus. The patient was placed in isolation at a specialised centre and health authorities have begun tracing five close contacts, who are also under home quarantine for 21 days.

The case involves the rare Bundibugyo strain circulating in the current DRC outbreak, which has caused around 900 reported infections and over 230 deaths. The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control described the risk to the broader European population as “very low”, and the French government said precautionary measures are in place to prevent any further spread.