American doctor tests positive for Ebola as Congo cases climb past 500
An American doctor working in eastern Congo has tested positive for Ebola, and U.S. officials are now moving several exposed Americans out of the region. It comes as health agencies work to contain an outbreak that spread for weeks before it was fully identified.
Dr. Peter Stafford, a medical missionary with the Christian nonprofit Serge, contracted the virus while treating patients near Bunia in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Stafford has worked in the region since 2023 and is being transported to Germany, where he will receive treatment and specialized medical care.
Serge said Stafford was infected while caring for patients at Nyankunde Hospital. His wife, Dr. Rebekah Stafford, and another physician who were also exposed have not developed symptoms and remain in quarantine under established safety protocols.
Response effort expands
The outbreak has spread beyond its original cluster in Congo and into neighboring Uganda, prompting the World Health Organization (WHO) to declare a global health emergency.
Case numbers continue to shift as health officials work through suspected infections and deaths. Earlier figures from the WHO put the outbreak above 250 suspected cases and roughly 80 suspected deaths. Numbers released by Congo’s health ministry on Tuesday place the suspected total above 500 cases, with more than 100 deaths reported in Ituri Province.
The CDC said seven Americans connected to the outbreak, including Stafford, are expected to leave the region for monitoring or treatment. The agency also announced temporary restrictions affecting certain noncitizen travelers who have recently been in Congo, Uganda or South Sudan.
Federal health officials said the immediate risk to the American public remains low.
Weeks of response time were lost
Doctors and epidemiologists say the initial response lost critical time after early testing focused on the wrong Ebola strain, according to Newsweek.
Samples were first tested for the more common Zaire strain and returned negative results. Later testing in Kinshasa identified Bundibugyo Ebola, a much rarer strain that has been linked to only two previous outbreaks.
Health workers now believe the virus had already spread through several communities before officials confirmed what they were dealing with. Tracking cases has also become more difficult because the outbreak sits in a region with armed conflict, displaced populations and frequent movement between communities and mining areas.
According to the WHO, the Bundibugyo strain currently has no approved vaccine or treatment specifically designed for it.
President Donald Trump addressed the outbreak Monday after being asked whether he was concerned.
“I’m concerned about everything. But certainly am,” Trump said. “I think that right now it’s been confined to Africa, but it’s something that has had a breakout.”
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