US citizen working in DR Congo tests positive for Ebola
A U.S. citizen working for a humanitarian group in the Democratic Republic of Congo has tested positive for the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Friday.
The CDC said it is working with the patient’s organization, other federal agencies and partners in the Democratic Republic of Congo to help prevent further transmission and identify high-risk contacts.
No other details about the patient were disclosed. CNN has reached out to the CDC and State Department for comment.
The number of confirmed Ebola cases in the Democratic Republic of Congo has risen to 1,830, including 648 deaths, government data showed late Friday, Reuters reported.
No cases of Ebola have been confirmed in the U.S. and “the overall risk to the American public and travelers remains low,” according to the latest data released Saturday. CDC website. It was stated that the epidemic was limited to remote areas of the Democratic Republic of Congo and neighboring Uganda, and the risk of spreading to the United States was “very low”.
Red Cross workers gather as aid agencies intensify efforts to contain the Ebola outbreak caused by the Bundibugyo virus in the Democratic Republic of Congo in June 2026. -Gradel Muyisa Mumbere/Reuters
In May, international aid organization Serge contacted American Christian missionary doctor Dr. It reported that Peter Stafford “tested positive” after “showing symptoms consistent with the virus.”
The charity is supported by her husband, Dr. Rebekah Stafford and another doctor, as well as the Stafford family’s four children under the age of seven, are being monitored for signs of the virus, he said.
The family, who has been living in the Democratic Republic of Congo since 2021, was evacuated to Berlin, Germany, where Stafford was quarantined and hospitalized.
Dr. Peter Stafford (left) with his wife Dr. in May. Rebekah Stafford (right) contracted Ebola while she and her four children were living and working in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The family was evacuated to Germany and treated in hospital. – Courtesy of Serge
“It was a difficult time,” he said. an exclusive CNN interview after his recovery. “I had a high fever, fatigue, and sometimes I even had trouble walking on my own.”
Rebekah Stafford recalled feeling overwhelmed as she watched global efforts mobilize to help her husband, while also being aware that her Congolese friends would not receive the same level of attention.
Despite their difficulties, she said her children are “doing really well.”
“Our oldest son definitely caught on and told our kids, ‘Hi guys, your dad has Ebola,'” she said, recalling having to explain that they couldn’t touch him, go into his room or be sure he would recover.
Last month, the first Ebola case outside Africa was reported during the second largest recorded outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The French Ministry of Health said the patient, who was also a humanitarian aid worker, tested positive in France after returning home from a mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
This was the first case reported in France.
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