Dr. Peter Stafford, a U.S. doctor who contracted Ebola while working in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), was evacuated to Charité University Hospital in Berlin, Germany, where he is receiving treatment and showing signs of improvement.
Stafford, working with the missionary organization Serge, was infected with the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus while performing surgery at Nyankunde Hospital in the eastern city of Bunia. He reported feeling “really concerned” that he would not survive before his evacuation but now describes himself as “cautiously optimistic.”
Charité University Hospital confirmed Friday that Stafford remains severely weakened but is not critically ill. He is isolated within a high-security specialized isolation unit and under close medical observation due to the potential for rapid changes in disease progression.
Stafford’s wife, Dr. Rebekah Stafford, who also works with Serge, and their four children were evacuated alongside him to Berlin. All four remain asymptomatic and are quarantined in a separate area of the hospital.
Why it matters
The Bundibugyo ebolavirus outbreak, now affecting parts of Congo and Uganda, poses significant public health risks. With nearly 750 suspected cases and 177 suspected deaths reported by the World Health Organization (WHO), medical personnel like Stafford are at heightened risk due to close contact with infected patients.
This outbreak is the third known occurrence of the Bundibugyo strain, which has no currently approved vaccine or specific antiviral treatment. Fatality rates range between 30% and 50%. Supportive care, including intravenous rehydration and symptom management, remains the primary treatment option.
Background
The U.S. doctor was exposed to Ebola while performing surgery, where contact with bodily fluids such as blood and vomit facilitates transmission. Early symptoms include fever, fatigue, muscle pain, headache, and sore throat, progressing in some cases to vomiting, diarrhea, rash, and organ dysfunction.
Stafford’s condition has recently improved, with his medical laboratories trending positively, and he has tolerated small amounts of food despite symptoms like vomiting, rash, and diarrhea. Intravenous therapies are being administered to support recovery.
Serge officials said hospital staff allowed Stafford to briefly see his wife and children through a window. Another Serge doctor, Dr. Patrick LaRochelle, who was also potentially exposed in the DRC, is now quarantined in Prague and remains symptom-free.
Amid the outbreak, the U.S. State Department issued a directive requiring U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents returning from Congo, Uganda, or South Sudan within the previous three weeks to enter through Washington-Dulles International Airport for health monitoring, a restriction also applied to non-citizens by the Department of Homeland Security.
Sources
This article is based on reporting and publicly available information from the following source:
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