The patient, who is thought to be a healthcare worker, is expected to be brought back to the UK later on Thursday, the Press Association understands.
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Association → think → Thursday
A Government spokesperson said: “A British citizen currently in the DRC has tested positive for Ebola.
“
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citizen → say → Ebola
The UK has well-established procedures for dealing with cases like this, and those processes have been activated.
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processes → have → this
“Further information will be shared in due course as appropriate.
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information → share → course
The risk to the UK public from Ebola remains low.”
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risk → remain → Ebola
Ebola has a high fatality rate, with past outbreaks causing death in 25-90% of infected people.
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outbreaks → cause → people
Early symptoms include fever, aches, pains, and fatigue, but they can then progress to diarrhoea, vomiting and unexplained bleeding.
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they → include → diarrhoea
There have only been four confirmed cases of the virus in the UK previously – one, in 1976, resulting from a laboratory needle incident, and three involving health workers who were responding to an outbreak in West Africa between 2014 and 2015.
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who → confirm → 2014
The new case is the first involving a British national contracting Ebola linked to the ongoing outbreak centred on the DRC caused by Bundibugyo virus.
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case → involve → virus
So far, the outbreak has led to more than 5,000 deaths.
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outbreak → lead → deaths
The patient is expected to be taken to the Royal Free Hospital London, which is one of only two hospitals equipped to deal with Ebola.
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which → expect → Ebola
The Royal Free has a high level isolation unit run by a dedicated team of doctors, nurses, and laboratory staff.
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Free → have → doctors
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The team has previously treated adult patients with Lassa fever, Ebola and Crimean Congo haemorrhagic fever.
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team → read → fever
Access to the unit is restricted.
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Access → restrict → unit
It includes a special tent with controlled ventilation that still allows care to be provided by NHS staff.
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care → include → staff
All the air leaving the unit is cleaned so there is no risk to anyone inside or outside of the hospital.
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air → leave → hospital
Professor Emma Thomson, director of the MRC-University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research, said: “The UK is extremely well prepared to care for patients with Ebola.
“
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UK → say → Ebola
Although Bundibugyo virus, the cause of the current outbreak, can cause severe disease and is highly infectious through direct contact with infected bodily fluids, the Royal Free has state-of-the-art isolation facilities and highly experienced clinical teams.
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Free → cause → facilities
“Strict protocols are in place to protect healthcare workers and prevent onward transmission.
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protocols → protect → transmission
Dr Damien Tully, an expert in infectious disease from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, said: “The infection of a British healthcare worker with Ebola is deeply concerning, but it is not entirely unexpected.
“Healthcare workers are on the frontline of these outbreaks, often treating severely ill patients under extremely challenging conditions.
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workers → say → conditions
Even with rigorous protective measures, accidental exposures can occur.
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exposures → occur → measures
“This case is a stark reminder of the risks faced by those responding to the outbreak of Ebola disease caused by Bundibugyo virus in the DRC.
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case → face → DRC
“However, it does not suggest that the virus has become more transmissible or that the threat to the UK has increased.
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threat → suggest → UK
“Unlike respiratory viruses such as Covid-19 and influenza, that can spread through the air, Ebola is transmitted primarily through direct contact with infected bodily fluids, and people are not generally infectious until they develop symptoms.
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they → spread → symptoms
“This means that identifying and isolating cases, together with appropriate infection prevention measures, can be highly effective in preventing onward transmission.
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identifying → mean → transmission
“For the UK public, the risk from this planned medical evacuation is extremely low.”
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risk → plan → evacuation
The Aporia
