UK confirms British healthcare worker has Ebola in DR Congo

A British healthcare worker who tested positive for Ebola in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is being medically evacuated to Britain for specialist treatment, an official document says. The patient is in stable condition, according to the document seen by Reuters.

A UK government spokesperson confirmed the positive test to Reuters and said the risk to the UK public remained low. The document expected the patient to arrive on 4 November or 5, then travel by specialist ambulance to a unit for serious infectious diseases.

The worker, whose identity has not been disclosed, was sent to DR Congo by a humanitarian organization to help respond to the outbreak. This is the first case involving a British national linked to the current outbreak.

The outbreak and public health response

The World Health Organization says the outbreak was confirmed in DR Congo and Uganda in May 2026. By late October, more than 10,000 confirmed cases and nearly 5,000 deaths had been reported in DR Congo.

Ebola is a severe viral disease that spreads through direct contact with an infected person’s bodily fluids. The WHO says the outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo species of Ebola, for which there is no vaccine or specific treatment, although promising candidates are being tested.

British health authorities say the National Health Service has procedures to manage suspected and confirmed infections. The document quoted authorities as expecting no serious public health impact in Britain and no disruption to international travel or trade.

Britain has dealt with Ebola cases before. Scottish nurse and aid worker Pauline Cafferkey contracted the disease while working in Sierra Leone in 2014 and was diagnosed in Glasgow on 29 December that year after returning.