Global Ebola risk ‘remains low’, says WHO chief

GENEVA: The global risk “remains low” from a deadly Ebola outbreak centred in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the World Health Organization chief said Wednesday, after a case was confirmed in France.

France on Wednesday announced its first confirmed case of Ebola identified on its territory: a doctor who had flown back from the DR Congo, which is fighting a major outbreak.

The case is the first of the deadly haemorrhagic fever identified outside the African continent during the current outbreak, which has also affected Uganda.

WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned against “overreaction” to the case – the first ever detected in France.

There is “no need for panic”, he said, insisting that “the risk to the rest of the world is low”.

He underlined, though, that the case served as “a reminder of the risks faced by frontline responders”.

“Almost 80 health workers have been infected, highlighting the risks they face and the importance of strengthening infection prevention and control,” he pointed out.

The case confirmed Wednesday involved a doctor who had been working with the Alliance for International Medical Action (ALIMA), the NGO said.

The patient “boarded a commercial flight from Kinshasa and was almost asymptomatic – except for headaches”, the French health ministry said.

The patient’s condition “slightly deteriorated during the flight”, after which they were immediately isolated and taken into care upon landing in Paris, even before the disease was officially identified, the ministry added.

The patient was in a “stable condition” and their viral load was “very low”, the ministry added.

Efforts were under way to identify potential contacts.

The WHO was advising countries “to support the safe deployment of personnel responding to this outbreak”, Tedros said.

“This includes ensuring that organisations deploying staff provide clear information on risks, how to reduce and manage the risks of exposure, and that countries are prepared to facilitate evacuation if needed.”

The DRC’s 17th Ebola outbreak was declared on May 15 after several unexplained deaths in the mineral-rich but volatile eastern Ituri province plagued by armed groups.

According to the latest official figures, more than 1,000 cases have been recorded, including 267 deaths, representing a fatality rate of around 25%.

WHO assesses the public health risk level as “very high” for the DRC, “high” for Uganda and other countries bordering the DRC, and “low” for the rest of the world.

Tedros called for putting the case in France in “perspective”, urging against “overreaction”.

He pointed out that while thousands of Ebola cases have been detected in Africa over the past half century, “in the past 50 years, the number of cases that were detected outside Africa is less than 30”.