American doctor who was there infected with Ebola while working with a missionary organization in Africa, he said in a statement that he feels “great hope” as he fights this deadly virus.
Dr. Peter Stafford was working with the Serge missionary group in the Democratic Republic of Congo when he contracted the virus, the group said. He was taken to a hospital in Berlin, Germany, for treatment, the team said on Tuesday.
“Before I was released I felt really worried that I wasn’t going to make it. And now I’m cautiously optimistic,” Stafford said in a statement shared by Serge.
Stafford’s wife, Dr. Rebekah Stafford, who also works with Serge, and their four children were also moved to Germany, Serge said. They are asymptomatic and are being isolated and monitored, the group said on Thursday.
I Bundibugyo ebolavirus The outbreak in Congo, which has spread to neighboring Uganda and South Sudan, may be bigger than what has been officially reported, health officials have warned. So far there are almost 600 suspected cases, including 139 suspected deaths, the World Health Organization said.
Stafford was diagnosed with the virus during surgery at Nyankunde Hospital in Bunia, a city in eastern Congo, Serge said in a previous statement. He has worked at the hospital since 2023, according to the group. Ebolavirus is spread from person to person through bodily fluids such as vomit, blood or semen, and medical staff can be very dangerous if exposed to sick patients.
Serge
This is only the third known outbreak of the Bundibugyo type. There is no known vaccine or treatment, health officials said. The first symptoms are fever, fatigue, muscle pain, headache and sore throat. Symptoms can then progress to vomiting, diarrhoea, abdominal pain, rash, organ dysfunction and abnormal, internal or external bleeding. The mortality rate of the Bundibugyo strain is around 30 to 50%, according to the WHO.
Dr. Scott Myhre, Serge’s director for East and Central Africa, described Stafford as “very sick but not very sick.” Myhre said Stafford reported feeling better on Thursday than the day before, and said the doctor who had the disease was able to eat less food since he had Ebola symptoms including vomiting, rash and diarrhea.
Although there is no cure for this type of ebolavirus, patients can receive supportive care including rehydration and treatment of certain symptoms. Stafford’s medical labs are “slowly moving in the right direction,” and have discovered an injection therapy “designed to enhance the effects of Ebola,” Myhre said.
Hospital staff briefly allowed Stafford to see his wife and children through the hospital window, Serge said.
Matt Allison, Serge’s executive director, told CBS News on Tuesday that Stafford is “doing well, all things considered.”
“He’s sick. It’s sad to be away from his family, but he’s getting the best care he can get,” Allison said.
Serge 
Serge’s third doctor, Dr. Patrick LaRochelle, was also exposed while working at the DRC hospital. He is in isolation at the Bulovka Hospital in Prague, according to Serge. He remains asymptomatic so far, the organization said.
I The State Department announced on Thursday that any US citizens or legal permanent residents returning from Congo, Uganda and South Sudan who were in those countries within three weeks of entering the US were required to fly to Washington-Dulles International Airport in Virginia. Same restrictions they apply to any non-citizenaccording to the Department of Homeland Security.
