A US national who contracted Ebola in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has arrived in Germany for treatment, the German health ministry said on Monday. The patient, a humanitarian worker in his 60s, was flown to Frankfurt and transferred to the city's university hospital.
Patient details and response
The World Health Organization (WHO) director-general, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, confirmed the patient was a humanitarian worker in Bunia, capital of Ituri province, the epicenter of the DRC's 17th Ebola outbreak declared in mid-May. The WHO provided clinical care and close monitoring before the transfer. An official from Samaritan's Purse, a Christian aid group, identified the patient as a full-time warehouse manager for the organization.
The German health ministry stated there is "no danger for the general population or for other patients" at the Frankfurt hospital, adding that the risk of an Ebola-infected person entering Germany is "very low." US authorities requested Germany's assistance due to its expertise in treating Ebola and shorter flight times from the DRC.
Trump administration travel restrictions
On Monday, the Trump administration barred American citizens in the DRC from traveling to the US on commercial flights, using a transportation authority known as Title 49, according to Reuters. US citizens in the DRC or those who recently left will be placed on a "do-not-board" list until they spend at least 21 days in a third country. About two dozen Americans were scheduled to board flights to the US on Tuesday after traveling to the DRC, and the US State Department will support affected citizens during the waiting period.
Ebola outbreak and previous case
The DRC's ongoing outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo strain of the virus, for which there is no vaccine or cure. According to the WHO, there have been more than 1,900 confirmed cases and more than 700 confirmed deaths. Another US patient with Ebola was treated at Berlin's Charité hospital in late May and recovered after two weeks. Ebola spreads through direct contact with bodily fluids and causes symptoms including high fever, vomiting, and internal and external bleeding.
