France has confirmed its first-ever case of Ebola after a doctor who recently returned from the Democratic Republic of Congo tested positive for the virus.
The patient was identified shortly after arriving in France and was immediately placed in isolation as a precaution. Health authorities said this is the first Ebola case linked to the current Central African outbreak to be detected outside the continent.
The Democratic Republic of Congo declared its latest Ebola outbreak in May following a number of unexplained deaths in the eastern part of the country.
Officials noted that the strain involved currently has no approved vaccine or specific treatment.
Despite the development, public health experts maintain that the risk of the virus spreading internationally remains low.
