British aid worker evacuated to London hospital after being 'exposed' to Ebola

A humanitarian worker is being ‘monitored and assessed’ by specialists in a London hospital after contracting a suspected case of Ebola.

It’s reported the worker, a British resident, was ‘exposed’ to the disease while working in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said he was evacuated on a chartered flight as a precautionary measure but ‘remains well’ and is not currently showing symptoms.

There has been no recorded case of Ebola in the UK since 2015, when three health workers returned from Africa with the disease.

‘The risk to the general public remains low,’ Richard Pebody, Director of Epidemic & Emerging Infections at UKHSA, claimed.

‘This individual has been transferred out of an abundance of caution, and we’re pleased they remain well.’ 

DR Congo has been facing a ‘substantially faster’ outbreak than those typically seen, which has so far claimed 930 lives, with 2,344 cases reported on Saturday alone.

First declared in May, this is becoming the fastest-growing Ebola epidemic on record, and so far there have been 20 confirmed cases outside DR Congo.

Among those 20 cases have been two deaths, one in Uganda and one in France.

The Democratic Republic’s Ministry of Health said on Monday: ‘Patient care and support capacities are consolidating, with 22 new recoveries recorded in 24 hours.’ 

Last month, there was concern after a potential case was detected in Scotland.

Part of a Glasgow hospital was sealed off to contain the possible spread.

Ultimately, the patient – who had been to a country impacted by the outbreak – tested negative.

In 2014, a Scottish nurse became the first person diagnosed with Ebola in the UK after treating patients in the ‘Red Zone’ in Sierra Leone’s disease-stricken Kerry Town.

Colleagues believed she may have contracted the illness after attending a church service without her hazmat suit on Christmas morning.

In June, a doctor tested positive for Ebola after returning home to France. The country’s health ministry said the patient had been on a humanitarian mission when they contracted the disease, and they are said to have recovered.

Those who may have come into contact with the patient are being traced, and the general risk the outbreak presents in Europe remains low.

Ebola can take between two and 21 days to incubate, during which time patients need to isolate.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) declared a public health emergency last month following the outbreak.

Known as Bundibugyo, the strain behind this batch of cases is rare and currently has no vaccine or treatment.

Last month, it was revealed that the ‘first line of defence’ against the deadly strain of Ebola has collapsed.

Humanitarian organisation Oxfam said hygiene infrastructure and contact tracing protocols in DR Congo were failing to contain the spread.

Field data released last month shows only one in five health centres in the province of Ituru – one of the epicentres of the outbreak – has sufficient access to clean water.

The risk to the general public remains low.

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