June 24, 2026

expert reaction to media reports that France has confirmed an Ebola case in a doctor who had worked in the DRC

Scientists comment on France confirming an Ebola case. 

Prof Jonathan Heeney, Professor of Comparative Pathology of Viral Infections and Head of the Lab of Viral Zoonotics, University of Cambridge, said:

“This is not unprecedented, similar cases occurred during past Ebola outbreaks.  The current patient is a healthcare worker who was quickly identified, isolated, and treated, which greatly limits any risk of spread.  Ebola (including this Bundibugyo strain) only spreads through close contact with bodily fluids, so with proper precautions and monitoring in place, the risk to the public is very low, especially compared with flu or COVID‑19, which spread much more easily through the air.”

Dr Daniela Manno, Clinical Assistant Professor, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), said:

“A case of Ebola disease in a doctor returning from a humanitarian mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has been linked to the ongoing Bundibugyo virus disease outbreak.  While this is the first reported case in Europe, its detection is not entirely unexpected given that transmission continues in eastern DRC and international travel between affected areas and Europe occurs regularly.

“Case identification and contact tracing remain challenging in some outbreak-affected areas, meaning that infected individuals may seek healthcare before their exposure has been recognised.  Healthcare workers are particularly vulnerable because they may encounter patients in the early stages of Ebola disease, when symptoms are often non-specific and can be mistaken for other common infections, delaying recognition, diagnosis, and the implementation of appropriate infection prevention and control measures.

“However, the overall risk to the general population in Europe and the UK remains low.  European countries have well-established protocols for identifying and managing suspected cases of viral haemorrhagic fever.  Healthcare facilities should remain vigilant, particularly when assessing travellers arriving from affected areas who present with symptoms compatible with Ebola disease.  Rapid identification, isolation, diagnostic testing, contact tracing, and appropriate infection prevention and control measures remain the most effective tools for preventing onward transmission.”

Prof Jonathan Ball, Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine; and Professor of Molecular Virology, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, said:

“Healthcare workers are on the frontline in the fight against any outbreak, and in the absence of specific vaccines they have to rely entirely on personal protective equipment and good clinical practice to prevent them from being exposed, and unfortunately sometimes this can be breached.

“The risk to the wider community in France is low – we know that isolation of the patient and tracing and monitoring of their contacts is a proven and effective way of minimising onward spread.”

Prof Alain Kohl, Professor of Virology and Emerging Infectious Diseases, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, said:

“Sadly, there is a risk to frontline staff in affected areas, especially those directly working with patients.  But monitoring, rapid identification of contacts and tracing are key to prevent further infections.  The risk to the general public is very low.”

Declared interests

Prof Jonathan Heeney: “I have no conflicts of interest.  I worked in West Africa during the largest Ebola epidemic and I have interviewed many Ebola survivors.

I have published my observations in: Heeney, J. L. (2015). Ebola: Hidden reservoirs. Nature, 527(7579), 453–455. https://doi.org/10.1038/527453a and Heeney, J. L. (2017). Ebola: The Plague of 2014/2015. In J. L. Heeney & S. Friedemann (Eds.), Plagues. Cambridge University Press (published online 24 March 2017).”

Dr Daniela Manno: “I have previously worked on Ebola vaccine clinical trials and outbreak preparedness research, including studies funded by CEPI and other international research funders.  I do not have any commercial interests related to Ebola vaccines or therapeutics.”

Prof Jonathan Ball: “No CoIs.”

Prof Alain Kohl: “No interests to declare.”