American Doctor Contracts Ebola in DR Congo, US Blocks Foreign Travellers
An American physician, Peter Stafford, has contracted Ebola whilst treating patients at Nyankunde Hospital in Bunia, Democratic Republic of Congo. Mr Stafford, associated with the medical missionary organisation Serge, developed symptoms over the weekend and is now being evacuated to Germany for specialised treatment, according to Dr Satish Pillai, Ebola response incident manager for the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The current Ebola outbreak in the DR Congo has reportedly led to at least 100 fatalities and over 390 suspected cases, as stated by the head of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC is orchestrating the evacuation of six other American nationals who were exposed during the same period.
In response, the CDC has invoked Title 42, a public health law, to issue an order prohibiting foreign travellers who have visited the DR Congo, Uganda, or South Sudan within the last 21 days from entering the United States. This measure follows the World Health Organisation's declaration of the outbreak as an international public health emergency.
The strain identified is the Bundibugyo virus, for which no approved treatments or vaccines are currently available. While officials maintain the risk to the American public remains low, the CDC is deploying staff to the outbreak's epicentre to assist with containment efforts. The WHO has cautioned that this outbreak could potentially be far larger than current reports indicate, carrying a significant risk of regional dissemination.
