The British case
The UK government has confirmed that a British citizen in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has tested positive for Ebola, the first confirmed case involving a British national in the current outbreak. An official document seen by Reuters describes the patient as a healthcare worker, sent to the country by a humanitarian organisation, whose identity has not been disclosed. The patient is in stable condition and is expected to arrive in Britain on 4 or 5 November, where a specialist ambulance will take them to a high-consequence infectious disease unit. In an emailed statement to Reuters, a government spokesperson said:
A British citizen currently in the DRC has tested positive for Ebola.
Risk assessment in Britain
Authorities say the risk to the public remains low, and according to the document they do not expect a serious public health impact or any disruption to travel and trade. The UK Health Security Agency has recorded only four confirmed Ebola cases in Britain since 1976, and three of them involved health workers who responded to the West Africa outbreak of 2014 to 2015. The National Health Service has procedures in place for suspected and confirmed infections. The WHO referred Reuters' questions about the patient to British authorities, while saying it had supported several medical evacuations at the request of partner organisations and governments. Several other people from elsewhere in Europe have also been infected in this outbreak.
Outbreak figures and the strain
The outbreak involves the Bundibugyo strain, for which no approved vaccine or treatment exists, unlike the Zaire strain. The African Centres for Disease Control and Prevention reported 10,444 confirmed cases, describing it as the fastest-growing outbreak in DR Congo's history. Death tolls differ by report: Al Jazeera put the number of deaths above 5,300, most of them in DR Congo, while The Guardian reported nearly 5,000 deaths by late October. Reported fatality rates also vary, at 50% in Al Jazeera's account, up to 40% according to The Independent, and 48.6% at the end of October according to the BBC. Kenya has reported nine cases, including two deaths, and the WHO counts one confirmed case in Nigeria. The key dated steps in the sources are shown below.
- Outbreak begins in DR Congo, reported as starting in May
- France reports its first confirmed case linked to the outbreak, a doctor returning from a humanitarian mission
- A trial using the Ervebo vaccine begins, and Switzerland evacuates a patient from Nigeria
- WHO expert groups recommend adding two Bundibugyo vaccine trials
- UK government confirms a British citizen tested positive for Ebola in DR Congo
- Patient expected to reach Britain and move to a high-consequence infectious disease unit
Trials and travel restrictions
On 2 November 2026, WHO expert groups recommended adding two vaccine trials for the Bundibugyo strain. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said a trial that started in October used Ervebo, which is licensed for the Zaire strain but not designed for Bundibugyo. The new candidates are designed specifically for Bundibugyo, and results are expected in early 2027. The trials are led by DR Congo's National Institute for Biomedical Research, with WHO and other partners backing them. Tedros said:
Vaccines are powerful tools, but they are not substitutes for the proven measures that can save lives now.
Tedros also urged countries to lift travel restrictions, arguing that they could discourage transparent reporting:
Such restrictions punish countries for doing the right thing, create disincentives for transparency, and harm the response.
The WHO said it is helping all countries neighbouring DR Congo prepare for cases that may spread across borders.