Germany is preparing to admit and treat an American doctor who contracted Ebola while working in the ongoing outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Germany’s health ministry confirmed on Tuesday that preparations were underway following a request from United States authorities for medical assistance.
The infected doctor was identified as Peter Stafford, a medical missionary who lives in the Democratic Republic of Congo with his wife, Rebekah Stafford, and their four children.
The Christian missionary organisation Serge disclosed that Stafford had been treating patients at Nyankunde Hospital in eastern Congo since 2023.
A spokeswoman for Germany’s health ministry said the patient would be admitted through Germany’s specialised network for handling highly infectious diseases.
The ministry later confirmed that Stafford would receive treatment at the special isolation ward of Charite hospital in Berlin.
“US authorities have requested assistance from the German government in treating a US citizen who contracted Ebola in Congo,” the spokeswoman said.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had earlier announced that the American doctor tested positive for Ebola late Sunday after exposure linked to his medical work in Congo.
According to Serge, Stafford was exposed to the virus while caring for Ebola patients at Nyankunde Hospital.
The missionary organisation also mentioned another doctor, Patrick LaRochelle, who had been involved in treating Ebola patients.
Serge stated that Stafford, his family, and LaRochelle would be transferred to a secure location where they could undergo specialised medical care and continuous monitoring.
However, German authorities did not confirm whether Stafford’s family or LaRochelle would also be flown to Germany for observation and treatment.
Meanwhile, the World Health Organization has declared the Ebola outbreak in Congo an international health emergency.
According to Congolese Health Minister Samuel Roger Kamba, the outbreak has resulted in an estimated 131 deaths from 513 suspected cases.
The outbreak is centred in Ituri Province in northeastern Congo near the borders with Uganda and South Sudan.
Health officials say the region’s role as a major gold-mining hub has increased cross-border movement, raising fears of wider transmission.
The current outbreak is linked to the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, for which no approved vaccine or specific treatment currently exists.
Over the past 50 years, Ebola outbreaks have killed more than 15,000 people across Africa.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus expressed concern over the rapid spread of the outbreak.
Tedros said he was “deeply concerned about the scale and speed of the epidemic” caused by the highly contagious haemorrhagic fever.
