White House Denies Report of Blocked Ebola Patient Return

The White House denied a Washington Post report claiming the United States initially blocked the return of an American doctor infected with Ebola. White House spokesman Kush Desai called the account "absolutely false" and said the Trump administration's priority is the health and safety of the American people.

He noted that the Charité hospital in Germany is recognized as one of the world's leading centers for treating viral diseases such as Ebola.

Background on the Case Dr.

Peter Stafford, a missionary doctor working in Bunia in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, treated a patient with severe abdominal pain. The patient died the next day, most likely from Ebola, before testing could be completed. Eight days later, Dr.

Stafford developed symptoms including fever, pain, shivering, and extreme fatigue. He was eventually evacuated to Germany's Charité hospital, where his condition has begun to improve and he is now able to eat.

The wife and four children of the infected doctor have been admitted to the same hospital's special isolation ward. U.S. authorities, according to Germany's Federal Health Ministry. U.S. border officials denied entry because a passenger had previously been in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The current Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo involves the Bundibugyo strain, which has a fatality rate of 25 to 50 percent. Nearly 600 suspected cases and 139 deaths have been reported so far.