An American surgeon who contracted Ebola while working in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has been flown to Germany for care, accompanied by his wife and four children. The family is under medical supervision as the World Health Organization warned about the rapid spread and growing scale of the outbreak.
Authorities have linked the cluster to the Bundibugyo strain of the virus, which currently has no approved treatments or vaccines. Initial reports listed at least 134 suspected deaths and more than 500 suspected cases; the WHO later updated those figures to more than 600 suspected cases and 139 suspected deaths, mostly in the DRC. The outbreak has reached urban areas and has been declared a public health emergency requiring international assistance. Two cases and one suspected death have also been reported in neighboring Uganda. WHO officials say the chance of a global pandemic remains very low, but the risk for countries in the region is severe.
The infected doctor, identified as Peter Stafford, is a surgeon and leader within the Christian missionary group Serge. He worked at Nyankunde hospital in Ituri province, where the Africa Centers for Disease Control first confirmed the outbreak. Stafford unknowingly performed surgery on a 33-year-old patient who presented with severe abdominal pain. Surgeons initially suspected a gallbladder problem; Stafford found the gallbladder normal and closed the wound. The patient died the next day and was buried before samples could be taken.
Stafford later developed symptoms and tested positive for Ebola, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. His wife, Rebekah Stafford, who is also a physician, and their children are being monitored for signs of the disease.
Colleagues described Stafford as gravely ill when he departed for Germany. Dr Scott Myhre, an area director for Serge, said Stafford appeared extremely weak and that staff in full personal protective equipment helped him walk. Myhre noted that although the surgeon used standard sterile gowns, gloves and eye protection for operations, that level of protection may not always prevent exposure to Ebola.
WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus cautioned that case numbers are expected to climb and stressed the seriousness of the epidemic in the DRC. The organization also faced criticism from U.S. senator Marco Rubio, who said the response was slow; WHO leadership defended its handling and suggested some criticism reflected a misunderstanding of the International Health Regulations and the roles of different agencies.
Health authorities and international partners continue to respond to the outbreak, working to identify cases, trace contacts, and support affected communities while researchers assess timelines for any potential vaccines or therapeutics.