What We Know About the British Ebola Patient Evacuated to the UK

A British healthcare worker who tested positive for Ebola in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is being evacuated to the UK, according to a Guardian report that cites an official document and a UK government statement.

Who is the patient and how did they contract Ebola?

The patient's identity has not been disclosed. The person was sent to DR Congo by a humanitarian organization to help support the response to the country's Ebola outbreak, according to the Guardian. It is the first case involving a British national contracting the virus during the current outbreak.

What has the UK government said?

"A British citizen currently in the DR Congo has tested positive for Ebola," a UK government spokesperson said in a statement Wednesday, as reported by the Guardian. "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."

Where will the patient be treated?

The patient is in stable condition and was expected to arrive in the UK on Wednesday or Thursday, according to an official document seen by Reuters and cited by the Guardian. The person will then be transferred by specialist ambulance to a "high consequence" infectious disease unit. The Guardian notes that London's Royal Free hospital operates a high-level isolation unit for diseases such as Ebola, with other specialist centers located in Newcastle and Liverpool.

How bad is the DR Congo outbreak behind this case?

The outbreak was declared by DR Congo's health ministry on May 15 and has surpassed 10,000 cases and 5,000 deaths, according to the Guardian. It is the 17th Ebola outbreak recorded in DR Congo and, per the Guardian, has become the largest and deadliest in the country's history. The outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo strain of the virus, for which there is no approved treatment, though vaccine trials are under way, the Guardian reports. The virus spreads through direct contact with bodily fluids, including blood and vomit, from infected people or the bodies of those who have died.

The outbreak has not stayed contained to DR Congo. The Guardian reports it has spread to Kenya and Uganda in East Africa, and that Nigeria confirmed a case in its capital, Abuja, last month.

Is there risk to the broader UK public?

The UK government statement cited by the Guardian characterizes the risk to the UK public as low, pointing to established evacuation and containment protocols that have been activated for this case. The Guardian's reporting does not include additional detail from health authorities on the patient's prognosis or treatment plan beyond the transfer to a specialist unit.

What to watch

• Confirmation of which UK hospital receives the patient once transfer is complete.
• Updates on the patient's condition from NHS or UK health officials.
• Whether additional British nationals working in DR Congo's outbreak response are identified as exposed.
• Continued case and death tallies from DR Congo's health ministry as the outbreak progresses.
• Developments in vaccine trials targeting the Bundibugyo strain.

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