France has confirmed its first case of Ebola after a doctor who recently returned from a humanitarian mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo tested positive for the virus.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, the French Ministry of Health said the doctor was immediately transferred to a specialised treatment facility and is currently in a stable condition.
The case comes amid an ongoing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where health authorities declared an outbreak last month. However, experts believe the virus had likely been circulating undetected for several weeks before it was officially identified.
According to available figures, more than 260 people have died from the disease in the Central African nation, while over 1,000 infections have been recorded.
French health officials said measures have been put in place to monitor the situation and prevent any potential spread of the virus.
Ebola is a severe and often fatal disease that spreads through direct contact with the bodily fluids of infected individuals. Health authorities continue to emphasise the importance of early detection, isolation of cases and contact tracing in containing outbreaks.
The latest case has renewed attention on international efforts to strengthen disease surveillance and support outbreak response measures in affected regions.