The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has confirmed that an American citizen has tested positive for the Ebola virus in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The individual, who had been working as a doctor in the region, developed symptoms over the weekend and received a positive test result late Sunday, as reported by CNBC.
This development comes just one day after the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the ongoing spread of the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola in Congo and Uganda as a global public health emergency. However, the WHO emphasized that the outbreak does not currently meet the criteria for a pandemic emergency under the International Health Regulations.
US Government Response
Dr. Heidi Overton, deputy director of the White House Domestic Policy Council, announced that the United States has activated a comprehensive interagency response to address the outbreak. She confirmed that the infected American is symptomatic and, along with six other high-risk contacts, will be evacuated from the region to Germany for medical care.
“Right now, there are no cases of Ebola in America. We want to keep it that way, and we are doing everything we can to support Americans in the region,” Overton stated.
Doctor Identified as Patient
Medical missionary group Serge identified the infected individual as Dr. Peter Stafford, a U.S. doctor who has been working at Nyankunde Hospital in Bunia, DRC, since 2023. According to Serge, Stafford was exposed to the virus while treating patients. His wife, Dr. Rebekah Stafford, also a doctor with the group, was exposed but remains asymptomatic and is following quarantine protocols. The couple, who met at Ohio State University's medical school and married in 2013, have four children. They moved to Africa in 2019.
Serge stated that the Stafford family is in a location where they can receive risk monitoring and specialized medical care.
Outbreak Statistics
Local officials report at least 131 deaths in the Ebola outbreak in the DRC, with over 513 suspected cases. Cases are now spreading over a wider area, according to a DRC government spokesperson. In Uganda, there have been two confirmed cases and one death.
The CDC has stated that the risk to American citizens remains low, and the agency is deploying staff to the outbreak's epicenter to assist with containment efforts.
