British healthcare worker with Ebola evacuated from DR Congo to UK

O paciente, cuja identidade não foi divulgada, havia sido enviado ao DR Congo por uma organização humanitária para ajudar a apoiar a resposta ao surto. Fotografia: Sebastien Kitsa Musayi/APView imagem em tela cheia O paciente, cuja identidade não foi divulgada, havia sido enviado ao DR Congo por uma organização humanitária para ajudar a apoiar a resposta ao surto.

About this contentSarah JohnsonWed 4 Nov 2026 13. 18 ESTFirst published on Wed 4 Nov 2026 11. 32 ESTSharePrefer the Guardian on GoogleA British healthcare worker with Ebola is being evacuated from the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the UK for medical treatment, it has been confirmed.

The patient, whose identity is unknown, is in a stable condition and is expected to arrive in the UK on Wednesday or Thursday before being transferred in a specialist ambulance to a “high consequence” infectious disease unit, according to an official document seen by Reuters.

Uma organização humanitária enviou o trabalhador ao DR Congo para ajudar na resposta ao surto, que é o segundo maior já registrado. É o primeiro caso envolvendo um cidadão britânico que contraiu Ebola na atual epidemia.

O Hospital Royal Free em Londres possui uma unidade de isolamento de alto nível para doenças infecciosas como Ebola; outros centros estão em Newcastle e Liverpool.

Ebola is a highly contagious, severe and often fatal illness. It is spread through direct contact with body fluids such as the blood or vomit of infected people, or dead bodies.

The current outbreak, declared on 15 May by DR Congo’s health ministry, has surpassed 10,000 cases, and 5,000 deaths. It is the 17th in DR Congo since Ebola was identified, was caused by the Bundibugyo virus, and has become the largest and deadliest in the country’s history.

The Bundibugyo virus has no approved treatment, though vaccine trials are under way.

Desde o início do surto, ele se espalhou para Quênia e Uganda, no leste da África, enquanto no mês passado a Nigéria confirmou um caso na capital, Abuja, após uma mulher que chegou de Uganda testar positivo pelo vírus.

She, along with a close contact, were evacuated to Switzerland for treatment.

In an interview with the Guardian last month, Dr Jean Kaseya, the director general of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), said the “unprecedented” spread of the Ebola outbreak meant it could reach the UK and other countries.

Other patients who have been medically evacuated for specialised care since the start of the outbreak include two sent to Germany and one to the Netherlands. Another case was reported in France in July.

British health authorities say the risk ⁠to the wider public from imported Ebola cases remains low and the NHS has procedures in place to manage suspected and confirmed infections.

Somente quatro casos confirmados foram registrados na Grã-Bretanha desde 1976, de acordo com a UK Health Security Agency.