An American physician who has tested positive for Ebola is among seven Americans being transported out of the Democratic Republic of Congo amid an outbreak involving a strain with no approved treatments or vaccines.
Here is what to know:
1. In a May 18 media briefing, the CDC confirmed one case of Ebola disease caused by the Bundibugyo virus among an American. The agency said it was transferring that individual, along with six others with known exposures to Germany for treatment and monitoring. The CDC has not confirmed how many total Americans have been exposed or to which facility in Germany they are being taken.
2. Serge, an international Christian missions organization, identified the American Ebola patient as medical missionary Peter Stafford, MD. Dr. Stafford tested positive for Ebola late May 17. He was exposed while treating patients at Nyankunde Hospital, where he has served since 2023. He is one of three missionaries who were treating patients when the outbreak began. The other two physicians were asymptomatic as of May 18.
3. The CDC on May 18 implemented new travel restrictions on visitors from Uganda, Congo or South Sudan due to the Ebola outbreak. The ban does not apply to U.S. citizens or permanent residents, and will remain in place for 21 days. The CDC said the risk to the American public remains low.
4. As of May 17, there have been 10 confirmed cases, 336 suspected cases and 88 deaths in the Congo tied to Ebola, according to the CDC. Uganda has also identified two confirmed cases — one of which was fatal — among individuals who traveled from the Congo, marking documented international spread. The current Ebola strain has no approved therapeutics or vaccines, the WHO said.
5. The U.S. has a handful of biocontainment facilities capable of treating highly infectious diseases, including units at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha and Emory University Hospital in Atlanta. The University of Nebraska Medical Center is monitoring patients amid the hantavirus outbreak.
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