France has reported its very first case of Ebola, the Health Ministry stated on Wednesday. A doctor returning from a humanitarian mission in Congo tested positive for the virus, the Ministry notified.
The Ministry further stated that the patient has been isolated and is in a stable condition. Contact tracing has also begun to identify people at risk of contracting the virus.
Countries in Africa, especially Congo, are currently battling a large-scale Ebola outbreak, with health authorities reporting new infections and deaths in affected provinces. The Ebola outbreak in Congo has infected more than a 1000 people and killed 267.
Ebola is a severe and often fatal viral disease that spreads through direct contact with the bodily fluids of infected people or contaminated materials. Symptoms include fever, vomiting, diarrhoea and, in severe cases, internal and external bleeding.