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An American missionary doctor who contracted Ebola while working in eastern Congo has been flown to Berlin for care and says he is “cautiously optimistic” about his chances — a rare hopeful signal amid an outbreak that has already killed scores. The case underscores persistent risks for frontline health workers and keeps international screening measures in place.
Patient evacuated to Berlin hospital
Dr. Peter Stafford, a 39-year-old surgeon serving with an international Christian medical mission, was diagnosed with Ebola on May 17 after treating patients in Ituri Province, Democratic Republic of Congo. He was transported to Charité University Hospital in Berlin for advanced treatment and isolation.
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Stafford provided a brief update on May 21, saying he feared at one point that his condition might not improve but now feels more hopeful. That statement was released by Serge, the missionary organization he works with.
Clinical status and symptoms
Mission leaders describe Stafford as seriously ill but not in immediate decline. In a phone update, Serge’s regional director, Dr. Scott Myhre, said Stafford had improved compared with the previous day and had started eating small amounts.
His reported symptoms include vomiting, diarrhea and a rash. Laboratory markers, according to the organization, are trending slightly in the right direction, a phrase clinicians use to indicate modest biochemical improvement though not full recovery.
Family moved to isolation wing
Stafford’s wife, Dr. Rebekah Stafford, and their four children were transferred with him to the Berlin facility. They remain in an isolation area and have shown no symptoms so far, with family members separated from him by a window to limit exposure.
Outbreak context and public-health response
Health authorities link this case to a larger Ebola flare-up in the region. Current estimates put the outbreak toll at at least 134 deaths, with up to about 600 people suspected to have been infected. Ebola’s historically high mortality heightens concern whenever the virus reaches health-care workers or crosses borders.
U.S. officials say the risk to the American public remains low, but additional precautions are in force: travelers returning from the DRC, South Sudan or Uganda are being routed through Dulles International Airport for enhanced screening.
- Date diagnosed: May 17
- Evacuation and care: Transferred to Charité University Hospital, Berlin
- Clinical picture: Critically ill but showing modest improvement; symptoms include vomiting, diarrhea, rash
- Family: Wife and four children in isolation; asymptomatic as of latest update
- Outbreak scale: At least 134 deaths and up to ~600 suspected infections in the affected region
- Travel measures: Mandatory screening at Dulles for recent travelers from affected countries
What to watch next: close monitoring of Stafford’s laboratory trends and clinical course, updates from German health authorities and Serge, and regional containment efforts in Ituri Province. For clinicians and public-health officials, a key question is whether treatment and supportive care can keep more patient outcomes on the positive trajectory now being reported.
