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UK doctor infected with Ebola being treated at London hospital

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UK doctor infected with Ebola being treated at London hospital

The man, who has not been identified, landed at RAF Northolt before being transported to a specialist infectious diseases unit at the Royal Free Hospital in north London. It is the first confirmed case of a UK national contracting Ebola during the most recent outbreak of the rare but deadly virus in DR Congo, which has so far led to more than 5,000 deaths.

Dr Renu Bindra, deputy director of the All Hazards Public Health Response team at the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), said there are "well-established procedures for dealing with cases like this" and the risk to the public remains low. The infected doctor was brought to the UK on a medical evacuation flight as part of a joint effort by the UK and DR Congo governments and their international health partners, the Department of Health (DoH) said.

Three large police vans travelled at either end of the convey, while two ambulances and another support car were involved. Traffic was stopped and police exited the vans to keep the public away as the convey arrived at the Royal Free Hospital.