Medical staff put on full protective clothing before examining patients at the Ebola Treatment Centre in the Munigi district of Goma, DRC, on June 02, 2026. [AFP]
The recovery of a French doctor infected with Ebola has provided a rare glimmer of hope amid the world's largest recorded outbreak of the Bundibugyo strain, even as health authorities warn that treatment centres in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) are nearing full capacity.
The doctor became France's first confirmed Ebola case linked to the ongoing outbreak after contracting the virus while working in eastern DRC. Following diagnosis, the patient was admitted to a high-security infectious diseases unit where they recovered without any reported secondary transmission, demonstrating the effectiveness of rapid detection, isolation and infection prevention measures.
While the French case ended positively, the epidemic continues to intensify in Central Africa.
Globally, only three countries have reported cases of the Bundibugyo strain since the current outbreak began. Together, they have recorded 1,549 confirmed cases, 57 recoveries and 495 deaths.
