Symbolic imageBritish national with Ebola to be evacuated from Congo
A British man has tested positive for Ebola in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and is to be flown to the UK for treatment. London says the risk to the public remains low.
The UK government confirmed the case on Thursday, 5 November, after the BBC reported it. Reuters reported that he will be medically evacuated for specialist treatment, but the timing was not known. The Telegraph describes him as a humanitarian worker. It is the first confirmed infection of a British national in this outbreak. A government spokesperson said established procedures have been activated and more information will follow.
Outbreak figures
The outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo virus and was declared in the DRC in May 2026. As of 1 November, the US CDC counted 10,563 confirmed cases and 5,130 deaths across five countries, including 10,532 cases and 5,126 deaths in the DRC.
Earlier evacuation from Nigeria
Nigeria confirmed its first case on 20 October, a traveller who had been in Uganda, and the patient was evacuated to Switzerland. The ECDC said 62 contacts were under follow-up as of 29 October.