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American Doctor Infected With Ebola Evacuated to Berlin Hospital
Dr. Peter Stafford contracted the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola while performing surgery at a hospital in eastern Congo. He was evacuated to Charite University Hospital in Berlin, where he is receiving supportive care and is described as severely weakened but not critically ill.
May 22, 9:42 AM·1m read1 source
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An American doctor infected with Ebola while working in the Democratic Republic of Congo has been evacuated to a hospital in Berlin for treatment. Dr. Peter Stafford was performing surgery at Nyankunde Hospital in Bunia when he was exposed to the virus, according to the missionary group Serge.
He has worked at the hospital since 2023. Stafford was flown to Charite University Hospital, where he is isolated in a high-security area of the specialized isolation unit. "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.
The hospital stated Friday that Stafford is severely weakened but not currently critically ill. He remains under close observation and is receiving intravenous treatments designed to improve Ebola outcomes. Stafford has experienced symptoms including vomiting, rash, and diarrhea, and his medical labs are trending slightly in the right direction.
Stafford's wife, Dr. Rebekah Stafford, and their four children were also evacuated to the same hospital. They are asymptomatic and quarantined in a separate part of the unit. Hospital staff briefly allowed Stafford to see his family through a window.
The Bundibugyo ebolavirus outbreak in Congo has spread to neighboring Uganda. There are nearly 750 suspected cases and 177 suspected deaths, the World Health Organization said Friday. This is only the third known outbreak of this strain, which has a fatality rate of 30 to 50 percent.
There is no known vaccine or treatment. A third Serge doctor, Dr. Patrick LaRochelle, was potentially exposed while working in a DRC hospital and is in quarantine at Bulovka Hospital in Prague. He remains asymptomatic. U.S. must fly into Washington-Dulles International Airport.
