Ebola: US Aid Worker Transferred to Germany for Treatment as US Imposes DRC Travel Restrictions
An American humanitarian worker infected with Ebola in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is receiving treatment in Germany while the US tightens travel measures to prevent the virus from spreading.
Medical teams transfer an American Ebola patient to Germany for specialist treatment.
An American humanitarian worker infected with Ebola arrived in Germany for specialist treatment after contracting the virus in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), while the United States introduced new travel restrictions for its citizens in the outbreak-affected country.
Germany’s health ministry said the patient landed in Frankfurt overnight, where medical teams immediately transferred him to Frankfurt University Hospital for continued treatment. Officials emphasized that the patient poses no risk to the public or other hospital patients.
World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the humanitarian worker had served in Bunia, the capital of Ituri province, where the latest Ebola outbreak continues to spread. WHO medical teams provided clinical care, closely monitored his condition, and coordinated his transfer to Germany.
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Christian aid organization Samaritan’s Purse identified the patient as a man in his 60s who worked full-time as a warehouse manager in the DRC.
The DRC declared its latest Ebola outbreak in mid-May. The Bundibugyo strain, which currently has no approved vaccine or specific cure, has infected more than 1,900 people and claimed over 700 lives, according to the WHO.
German officials said the United States requested Germany’s assistance because of its extensive experience treating Ebola patients and the shorter flight distance from the DRC.
The latest transfer follows another Ebola case involving an American patient who received treatment at Berlin’s Charité Hospital in late May. Doctors discharged him after he recovered from two weeks of medical care.
Meanwhile, the Trump administration temporarily barred US citizens in the DRC from returning to the United States on commercial flights under transportation authority known as Title 49. The policy places affected travelers on a “do-not-board” list until they spend at least 21 days in a third country before returning to the United States.
US officials said about two dozen Americans had planned to travel from the DRC to the United States this week. The State Department will assist those citizens during the waiting period.
People contract Ebola through direct contact with the bodily fluids of infected humans or animals. The virus can cause high fever, vomiting, diarrhea, and internal or external bleeding, making rapid diagnosis and isolation critical to controlling outbreaks.
