France has recorded its first confirmed case of Ebola within its borders after a doctor returning from the Democratic Republic of Congo tested positive for the virus on Wednesday, June 24.

The case marks the first detection of the deadly haemorrhagic disease outside Africa during the current outbreak, which has also affected Uganda.

It is also the first time Ebola has been officially identified in France. During the major West African outbreak in 2014, two Ebola patients were treated in the country, but both had been diagnosed before arriving in France.

French health authorities confirmed that the infected individual was identified in mainland France. According to the Health Ministry, the doctor was placed in isolation immediately upon arrival in the country, even before laboratory tests confirmed the infection.

Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu’s office said the government is closely monitoring the situation.

The Democratic Republic of Congo declared its 17th Ebola outbreak on May 15 following a number of unexplained deaths in the eastern province of Ituri. The outbreak is linked to the Bundibugyo strain of the virus, for which there is currently no approved vaccine or specific treatment.

Despite the development, public health specialists believe the likelihood of the outbreak spreading globally remains low because Ebola is not easily transmitted compared to many other infectious diseases.