LONDON, United Kingdom – A humanitarian worker has been medically evacuated from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to the United Kingdom after a possible healthcare-related exposure to Ebola, British health authorities have confirmed.
UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said the individual is a UK resident who has not been publicly identified is not showing any symptoms of the disease and was transferred purely as a precaution.
Officials stressed that there are currently no confirmed Ebola cases in the UK and that the risk to the wider public remains low.
According to UKHSA, the humanitarian worker had been supporting the Ebola response in eastern DRC when the potential exposure occurred.
The individual is now being monitored and assessed at a specialist hospital in London while remaining in isolation throughout the virus’s incubation period, which ranges from two to 21 days.
Although authorities have not disclosed the name of the hospital, Royal Free Hospital in north London houses the UK’s specialist high-level isolation unit for patients with high-consequence infectious diseases.
“The risk to the general public remains low,” said Richard Pebody, Director of Epidemic and Emerging Infections at UKHSA.
“This individual has been transferred out of an abundance of caution, and we’re pleased they remain well.”
Ebola is a severe and often fatal viral disease that spreads through direct contact with the blood or bodily fluids of an infected person or contaminated materials. Unlike influenza or COVID-19, it does not spread through the air.
Symptoms usually begin suddenly and include fever, headache, muscle pain and extreme fatigue before progressing to vomiting, diarrhoea and, in severe cases, organ failure and internal or external bleeding.
Early diagnosis, isolation and supportive medical care significantly improve survival.
The evacuation comes as health authorities continue responding to a major Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), as of 19 July 2026, DRC had recorded 2,423 confirmed Ebola cases, including 967 deaths, since the outbreak was declared in mid-May. WHO said 469 patients have recovered.
Neighbouring Uganda has also confirmed 20 Ebola cases and two deaths, prompting authorities to strengthen surveillance, border screening and emergency response measures, particularly along the Uganda–DRC border.
The current outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus, for which there is no licensed vaccine, although several candidate vaccines remain under development.
United Kingdom has previously managed imported Ebola cases.
Between 2014 and 2015, three healthcare workers who returned from West Africa tested positive for Ebola during the region’s devastating outbreak.
All three recovered following treatment, and no further transmission was recorded within the UK.
Health officials will continue monitoring the evacuated humanitarian worker throughout the incubation period to ensure any signs of illness are detected early.
Meanwhile, international health agencies are continuing efforts to contain the outbreak in the DRC through surveillance, contact tracing, treatment, community engagement and cross-border cooperation aimed at preventing further spread of the virus.
