A U.S. citizen, identified as Dr. Peter Stafford, has contracted the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus while working in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), U.S. health authorities confirmed. Dr. Stafford, who has served at Nyankunde Hospital since 2023, was among the newly confirmed cases in Bunia, the capital of Ituri province. The incident highlights the escalating Ebola outbreak in the region, which has reportedly led to nearly 120 deaths and hundreds of suspected cases.
Dr. Stafford, along with his wife Dr. Rebekah Stafford, their four children, and a third physician colleague, Dr. Patrick LaRochelle, are being evacuated to a U.S. military facility in Germany for monitoring. This marks a significant development in the ongoing public health crisis. "An American contracted Ebola while working in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where the outbreak is spreading across parts of Africa, U.S. health authorities said," The Wall Street Journal reported on social media.
The current outbreak, the 14th in the DRC, has primarily affected the eastern Ituri and North Kivu provinces, with cases also confirmed in Bunia, Rwampara, Mongbwalu, Butembo, and Nyankunde. The Bundibugyo strain, a rarer form of Ebola, circulated undetected for at least five to six weeks before the first laboratory confirmation on May 14. As of Monday, there were over 118 deaths and 300 suspected cases, with some reports indicating up to 390 suspected cases.
International organizations are mobilizing resources, with the World Health Organization (WHO) dispatching 35 experts and seven metric tons of supplies to Bunia after declaring the outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC). Africa CDC Director Jean Kaseya expressed being in "panic mode" due to a lack of medicines, vaccines, and personal protective equipment. Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has also been active, noting that 55 people had died before official recognition of the outbreak.
In response, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued travel advisories and implemented a Title 42 order suspending entry for non-U.S. passport holders who have visited the DRC, Uganda, or South Sudan within the last 21 days. This measure, a rare deployment of Title 42, has drawn criticism, with Infectious Diseases Society of America CEO Dr. Jeanne Marrazzo stating, "Diseases don't recognize passports." The outbreak unfolds amidst a backdrop of significant cuts to global health funding and humanitarian aid.
