France’s first Ebola patient is healed and has left hospital – Health Minister

A doctor who became the first confirmed Ebola case on French territory has recovered and been discharged from hospital, the French health minister has said.

France’s Health Minister Stéphanie Rist confirmed on Saturday, July 4, that the physician had “today left the medical establishment” and returned home following treatment.

The doctor tested positive after travelling to France on June 23 from the Democratic Republic of Congo, where authorities are currently battling a significant Ebola outbreak. The case marked the first time Ebola had been detected in France, although during the 2014 West Africa outbreak, patients were treated in the country after being diagnosed elsewhere.

Officials said the doctor arrived on an Air France flight and was almost asymptomatic apart from headaches. As a precaution, five other passengers on the same flight were identified as potential contacts and placed in isolation while monitoring continued.

The recovery comes as the Democratic Republic of Congo continues to report new cases. According to the latest government figures released on July 2, the outbreak declared on May 15 has resulted in at least 438 deaths among 1,406 confirmed infections. Public health authorities have maintained surveillance and contact tracing measures amid concerns about further spread.