France has confirmed its first Ebola case after a doctor who recently returned from a humanitarian mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) tested positive for the virus, according to a report by BBC. 

The French health ministry said the doctor was "immediately admitted to a specialised facility" and is in a stable condition.

Authorities are also tracing people who may have come into contact with the patient.

First case in Europe

The case is the first confirmed Ebola infection in Europe linked to the current outbreak in DR Congo.

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Although an American doctor who tested positive for Ebola in DR Congo was treated at a hospital in Germany last month, this is the first confirmed case reported by a European country.

France's health ministry stressed that the risk to the public was "very low".

Growing outbreak in DR Congo

DR Congo announced an Ebola outbreak last month, but experts believe the virus had been circulating for weeks before it was officially detected.

More than 260 people are confirmed to have died from the virus in the central African country, while 1,000 people have been infected.

According to both Africa's Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) and US public health authorities, the current Ebola outbreak has the potential to be one of the largest ever.

Healthcare workers among the hardest hit

Healthcare workers remain particularly vulnerable because Ebola spreads through bodily fluids.

Last week, the World Health Organization (WHO) said 17 of the 75 health workers who had caught Ebola in DR Congo had died.

The current outbreak has been caused by the Bundibugyo species of the virus, for which there is currently no vaccine.

France said it has established a "dedicated monitoring system" for aid workers returning from DR Congo.

Cases reported in Uganda

The outbreak has also spread beyond DR Congo's borders.

Uganda has confirmed Ebola cases, with the WHO reporting that 20 people are known to have been infected and two deaths have been confirmed.

Conflict hampers response efforts

In DR Congo, cases are currently concentrated in the eastern provinces of Ituri, South Kivu and North Kivu.

Ituri remains the main centre of transmission, accounting for more than 90% of confirmed infections.

The WHO has warned that conflict in eastern DR Congo is making it more difficult to tackle the Ebola outbreak. The M23 rebel group is in control of large parts of both North and South Kivu, complicating efforts by health workers to reach affected communities and contain the spread of the disease.

Published on: Jun 24, 2026 8:34 PM IST