British doctor with Ebola flown to specialist unit in London
A British physician who contracted Ebola in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has been transferred to the Royal Free Hospital’s high-level isolation unit, with officials saying the risk to the public remains low.
A British doctor who tested positive for Ebola in the Democratic Republic of the Congo arrived at RAF Northolt and was taken to the Royal Free Hospital in north London, one of two UK facilities equipped to treat the disease. A government spokesperson said that established procedures for such cases have been activated and that further information will be provided when appropriate, adding that the risk to the public remains low. The UK Health Security Agency notes only four confirmed Ebola cases have occurred in Britain since 1976, all linked to laboratory or outbreak-response exposure. The current outbreak in the DRC, caused by the Bundibugyo virus, has produced more than 10,000 confirmed cases and over 5,000 deaths, according to the World Health Organization. The patient will be cared for in a high-level isolation unit that features a ventilated tent and air-filtration system to prevent any transmission beyond the facility. Experts from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine emphasized that Ebola spreads primarily through direct contact with infected bodily fluids and that individuals are not infectious until symptoms appear, making the likelihood of onward spread in the UK extremely low.