British ‘healthcare worker’ returning to UK for Ebola treatment

Getty/Fela Sanu

By Jane Kirby, Press Association

A British man is being flown back to the UK for treatment after testing positive for Ebola in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the government has confirmed.

The patient, who is thought to be a healthcare worker, was expected to be brought back to the UK on Thursday.

He was likely to be taken to the Royal Free Hospital London, which is one of only two hospitals in the UK equipped to deal with Ebola.

A government spokesperson said: “A British citizen currently in the DRC has tested positive for Ebola.

“The UK has well-established procedures for dealing with cases like this, and those processes have been activated.

“Further information will be shared in due course as appropriate. The risk to the UK public from Ebola remains low.”

Ebola has a high fatality rate, with past outbreaks causing death in 25-90% of infected people.

People with the disease tend to fall ill two to 21 days after contact with an orthoebolavirus.