A US citizen doing humanitarian work in the Democratic Republic of Congo has tested positive for Ebola, marking the second American infected amid the DRC’s explosive Ebola outbreak—and the second to be sent for care in Germany rather than the US.
The Ebola outbreak, which was first declared on May 15, is already the third largest on record and still growing. As of July 12, the DRC has reported 1,926 cases and 702 deaths in the outbreak, which is caused by the lesser-known Bundibugyo strain of Ebolavirus.
Under the Trump administration, the US has adopted a seemingly isolationist approach, implementing stringent and controversial travel restrictions and blocking the repatriation of citizens exposed to or infected with the virus. That’s despite the US having multiple facilities around the country designed to safely monitor and provide high-quality care for Ebola patients in these types of situations.
The US is also largely removed from outbreak responses. Upon taking office, Trump moved to withdraw from the World Health Organization, which is helping coordinate the international efforts to halt the spread of the virus—though it is still outpacing health workers.
On Monday, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that WHO had provided clinical care for the infected American before the patient was transferred to Germany for follow-up care.
While saying such infections among aid workers are not unexpected, Tedros called for more help to curb the virus. “As the outbreak escalates, an accelerated response from local, national, and international partners is urgently needed,” he said on social media Monday. “WHO is working intensively under the government’s leadership and with Africa CDC to bring the outbreak under control as rapidly as possible.”
The American infected was working with the evangelical Christian organization Samaritan’s Purse. The organization told the media that the infected employee is a man in his 60s who was working as a warehouse manager. He was not involved in direct patient care at the organization’s Ebola treatment centers, raising questions about how he became infected.
On Monday, the organization said the man had arrived at Frankfurt University Hospital for treatment. He has “responded well to treatment, is in stable condition, and is receiving excellent medical care in the hospital’s special isolation unit,” it said in a statement to The Washington Post.
The first American infected in the outbreak, Dr. Peter Stafford, was working for a different Christian organization and had been directly treating patients when he was exposed. He was evacuated to Berlin for care after becoming ill. His evacuation was reportedly delayed as officials with the Trump administration prevented him from being repatriated to the US. Stafford recovered from his illness in Berlin and has since returned to the US with his family. One of Stafford’s colleagues at the organization was also exposed and was sent to Prague for monitoring.
