Dr. Peter Stafford, an American doctor who contracted Ebola while treating patients in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, has arrived in Germany for specialized medical care.
Mission organization Serge confirmed Stafford is being treated at Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin after testing positive for the rare Bundibugyo strain of Ebola.
Family and Other Missionaries Monitored
Stafford’s wife and four children are expected to join him in Germany, while six other Americans potentially exposed to the virus are being monitored in Europe.
The 39-year-old surgeon became infected while working in Bunia, eastern Congo, before the outbreak was officially identified.
Ebola Outbreak Expands in Central Africa
The current outbreak has caused nearly 600 suspected cases and 139 suspected deaths in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, according to the World Health Organization.
Health officials say the outbreak involves the rare Bundibugyo Ebola variant, which currently has no approved vaccine or treatment. Cases have also been reported in neighboring Uganda.
The CDC said the risk to the U.S. public remains low, though officials are preparing additional travel screening measures.
For more on the recent ebola outbreak, stay tuned to Que Onda Magazine.