Ebola virus: France's first case 'cured' and 'released from hospital,' announces Health Minister

France's first confirmed case of the Ebola virus, a humanitarian doctor who returned from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), has fully recovered and been discharged from the hospital. The announcement was made by Health Minister Stéphanie Rist.

The doctor, who works for the NGO Alima, arrived in France on June 23 after traveling from the DRC, a country currently experiencing a severe Ebola epidemic. Although he initially experienced mild symptoms such as headaches during his flight, his condition slightly worsened en route. Upon arrival at Paris airport, he was immediately isolated and transferred to a hospital for strict medical care and monitoring, adhering to all sanitary protocols.

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After two negative PCR tests, the patient is now cured and has been able to return home safely.

Minister Rist stated that after two negative PCR tests, the patient was declared cured and has safely returned home. She commended the effectiveness of France's health surveillance, isolation, and response mechanisms in handling such exceptional health risks. This case marked the first diagnosis of Ebola in France, although two patients diagnosed abroad were treated in the country during the 2014 West Africa epidemic. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that the risk of transmission remains low globally due to the virus's relatively low contagiousness.

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The solidity of our system of surveillance, isolation, and response to exceptional health risks.