BERLIN — A U.S. citizen who contracted Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo arrived in Germany on Wednesday and is in stable condition, health officials said.
The patient, identified as Dr. Peter Stafford, a surgeon working with the Christian missionary organization Serge, was admitted to a special isolation ward at Charité University Hospital in Berlin, Germany's health authorities confirmed.
Stafford tested positive for the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola after developing symptoms over the weekend while treating patients in Ituri Province, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. He was evacuated from the DRC on Tuesday.
The CDC said on Wednesday that Stafford remains in stable condition. Germany's Foreign Health Ministry stated that he is receiving treatment in a high-security isolation unit equipped for such cases.
Leaders of the Serge organization described Stafford as appearing tired and seriously ill when he departed Congo, requiring support to stand. "There were people in full – we call it PPE – the personal protective equipment, and they’re completely covered, and he’s hanging on them barely strong enough to walk," Dr. Scott Myhre, area director for Serge, told reporters.
Stafford's wife and four children are also being monitored as high-risk contacts. Additional Americans connected to the response are being moved to medical facilities in Europe, including Czechia, officials said.
The evacuation comes as health authorities manage an outbreak of the rare Bundibugyo Ebola strain in northeastern DRC that has spread to Uganda. As of mid-May, officials reported more than 130 deaths and hundreds of suspected cases, primarily in Ituri Province, according to the World Health Organization and DRC health authorities.
The WHO has declared the situation a public health emergency of international concern, citing the scale and speed of transmission. No approved vaccines or specific treatments exist for the Bundibugyo strain.
German officials said the decision to treat the patient in Berlin followed a request from U.S. authorities. Germany has prior experience managing Ebola cases in specialized facilities.
The U.S. State Department and CDC have not released further details on Stafford's condition or exact exposure circumstances, citing patient privacy. Health officials stressed that the risk to the general public remains low due to strict isolation protocols.
No additional confirmed Ebola cases have been reported among passengers or crew involved in the medical evacuation, authorities said.
