An American physician who contracted Ebola while serving with a medical missionary group in the Democratic Republic of Congo says he felt certain he might not survive before being evacuated to Europe.
Dr. Peter Stafford, who worked at Nyankunde Hospital in Bunia since 2023 with the organization Serge, tested positive for the Bundibugyo ebolavirus and was flown to a hospital in Berlin for treatment, the group said. “Before I was evacuated I was feeling really concerned I wasn’t going to make it. And now I’m cautiously optimistic,” Stafford said in a statement shared by Serge.
Stafford’s wife, Dr. Rebekah Stafford, and their four children were also evacuated to Germany. They remain asymptomatic and are being isolated and monitored, the organization said. A third Serge doctor, Dr. Patrick LaRochelle, who may have been exposed while working in a DRC hospital, is in quarantine at Bulovka Hospital in Prague and has not developed symptoms so far.
Serge officials described Stafford as “critically ill but not acutely deteriorating,” according to Dr. Scott Myhre, Serge’s director for East and Central Africa. Myhre said Stafford reported feeling better on Thursday than the previous day, was able to eat small amounts, and is experiencing typical Ebola symptoms including vomiting, rash and diarrhea. Stafford’s lab results are “trending slightly in the right direction,” and he has received intravenous therapies intended to improve outcomes. Hospital staff briefly allowed him to see his family through a window during the evacuation, Serge said.
The current Bundibugyo ebolavirus outbreak in the region has spread to neighboring Uganda and South Sudan and is likely larger than official counts indicate, health officials warn. The World Health Organization reports nearly 600 suspected cases and about 139 suspected deaths so far. The Bundibugyo strain has no known specific vaccine or proven targeted treatment; supportive care — including rehydration and treatment of individual symptoms — is the mainstay of care. Initial signs typically include fever, fatigue, muscle pain, headache and sore throat, which can progress to vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, rash and organ dysfunction. The strain’s fatality rate is estimated at roughly 30 to 50%.
Stafford was exposed during surgery at Nyankunde Hospital, where health workers can be at high risk when treating infected patients. Matt Allison, Serge’s executive director, told CBS News that Stafford is “doing well, all things considered,” adding that he is receiving the best available care.
U.S. officials on Thursday announced travel restrictions requiring U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents and certain noncitizens who have been in Congo, Uganda or South Sudan within three weeks of travel to enter the United States through Washington-Dulles International Airport for monitoring and screening.