A British man in the Democratic Republic of Congo will be brought back to the UK for treatment after testing positive for Ebola, the Government has said.

Some 5,000 people have died in the ongoing outbreak of the rare but deadly disease in DR Congo, West Africa.

The patient, identified as a healthcare worker by the news agency Reuters, is expected to be flown back to Britain by medical evacuation, though it is not clear when the flight will take place.

A Government spokesperson said: “A British citizen currently in the DRC has tested positive for Ebola.

“The UK has well-established procedures for dealing with cases like this, and those processes have been activated.

“Further information will be shared in due course as appropriate. The risk to the UK public from Ebola remains low.”

Only four cases of Ebola have ever been confirmed in the UK, including three involving health workers who responded to the outbreak in West Africa between 2014 and 2015.

Dr Damien Tully, associate professor at the Medical Research Council/Uganda Virus Research Institute and London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine Uganda Research Unit, said news of the British man’s infection was “deeply concerning, but it is not entirely unexpected”.

He added: “Healthcare workers are on the front line of these outbreaks, often treating severely ill patients under extremely challenging conditions. Even with rigorous protective measures, accidental exposures can occur.

“This case is a stark reminder of the risks faced by those responding to the outbreak of Ebola disease caused by Bundibugyo virus in the DRC. However, it does not suggest that the virus has become more transmissible or that the threat to the UK has increased.”

Dr Tully added that the risk to the British public “from this planned medical evacuation is extremely low” because Ebola is “transmitted primarily through direct contact with infected bodily fluids, and people are not generally infectious until they develop symptoms”.

The UK has two dedicated high-level isolation units, at the Royal Free Hospital in London and the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle, which could deal with the case, Dr Tully said, adding: “These facilities are equipped with specialist isolation systems and staffed by highly trained infectious disease teams.

“Patients can be transported under carefully controlled conditions, with strict infection prevention measures, appropriate protective equipment and arrangements for identifying and monitoring anyone who may have been exposed.”