France Reports First Ebola Case in Doctor Returning From Congo; Risk to Public Assessed as Very Low

France confirmed its first case of Ebola on national territory Wednesday in a doctor who returned from a humanitarian mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The patient boarded a commercial flight from Kinshasa nearly asymptomatic except for headaches. The individual's condition slightly deteriorated during the flight.

Upon landing in Paris the patient was immediately isolated and transferred under secure conditions to a specialized facility. The French Health Ministry said the patient remains in stable condition with a very low viral load. An epidemiological investigation is underway to identify contacts.

Those individuals must self-isolate at home for 21 days and will be monitored by health authorities. The Democratic Republic of Congo declared its 17th Ebola outbreak on May 15. The outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo strain, which has no approved vaccine or specific treatment.

More than 1,000 cases and at least 260 deaths have been recorded in the country, with additional deaths reported in Uganda. The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control has assessed the risk of infection as very low for the general European population. Ebola spreads through direct contact with bodily fluids and is not transmitted through the air, water or food.

Symptoms appear between two and 21 days after exposure. Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu's office said he is monitoring the situation closely. The patient is one of its doctors, according to ALIMA, the Alliance for International Medical Action.

France has established a monitoring system for humanitarian workers returning from the region.