The Terrifying Virus Has Reached Europe 0 30

The French Ministry of Health stated in an official message that the "first confirmed case of Ebola virus disease" has been reported on the mainland of France.

The virus was detected in a doctor who had returned from the Democratic Republic of Congo. He was isolated immediately upon arrival in France, even before the official confirmation of the diagnosis. French health authorities are monitoring the situation, as reported by Radio France Internationale.

In the DRC, where the epidemic has been ongoing since at least May 15, the National Institute of Public Health has registered 1,003 cases of the disease and 254 deaths, corresponding to an average fatality rate of 25.3%.

At the beginning of the outbreak, testing capabilities in the DRC were extremely limited; however, the situation has since improved, which partially explains the increase in reported cases. Nevertheless, international humanitarian organizations and non-governmental organizations working on the ground assert that official data still lags behind the actual numbers. The virus is also present in Uganda, where 20 confirmed cases have been reported, including two fatalities.

The epidemic is caused by the Bundibugyo virus, for which there is currently neither a vaccine nor treatment. Previously developed vaccines are only effective against the Zaire virus, which was responsible for the largest known Ebola outbreaks.

The World Health Organization has declared a public health emergency of international concern, and the African Centre for Disease Control and Prevention believes that ten countries in the region remain at risk.