An American citizen who works for a charity in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has tested positive for the Ebola virus, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) of America.
The CDC said it is aware of a US citizen who has tested positive for the Bundibugyo virus and that it is working with the patient recruitment agency, other US government agencies, public health authorities and partners in the DRC “to help prevent further infection by supporting contact tracing and conducting risk assessments to identify high-risk contacts.”
The CDC did not provide further details or identify the US citizen who tested positive for Bundibugyo, a rare strain of the Ebola virus that is causing an ongoing outbreak in the Central African country and has no approved drugs or vaccines.
The New York Times reports that the affected American worked for Samaritan’s Purse, a disaster relief organization.
A spokesman for the group told the newspaper that the worker has been in isolation since last Monday and is being cared for in one of the two Ebola treatment centers the organization runs in Ituri.
Global News has reached out to Samaritan’s Purse for further comment, but has not yet heard back.
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Last week, the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the disease was the fastest-growing Ebola outbreak ever recorded across the continent, with 1,830 confirmed cases in Congo, including 648 deaths. Cases have also been confirmed in Uganda.
An American citizen who works for a charity is the second American to get the virus during the pandemic.
An American who tested positive for the virus in Congo arrived in Berlin in May for treatment in a special isolation ward.
“An American who was working in the DRC has also been confirmed positive, and was transferred to Germany,” WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said at the time.
Christian aid organization Serge has confirmed one of its doctors – identified as American missionary Dr Peter Stafford – has been evacuated from Congo and is “receiving special treatment” after he showed symptoms of Ebola.
Serge announced in May that all of the organization’s workers “at risk have been safely evacuated from the Democratic Republic of Congo.”
“We have received confirmation that Dr. Peter Stafford has arrived safely at Charite University Hospital in Germany, where he will receive the highest level of care and treatment,” said Dr. Scott Myhre, Serge regional director for Mpumalanga and Central Africa.
“The complex, coordinated efforts of many government agencies and international health authorities resulted in the safe transport of Peter Stafford and the protection of those involved in his transfer. Serge’s leadership extends its deepest gratitude to all those involved in Peter’s care and prays for all those involved in fighting and ending this ebolavirus outbreak for the benefit of the people of the DRC.”
Stafford, a 39-year-old board-certified surgeon trained in burn care, tested positive for the Bundibugyo Ebola virus after treating patients in Bunia before the disease was identified.
Stafford’s wife of 38 years, Dr. Rebekah Stafford, and their four young children, and Dr. Patrick LaRochelle, 46, also moved from the DRC to other locations, where they would be hired near professional care if needed, Serge said at the time.
By June 15, Stafford and his wife and four children had arrived safely in the United States, according to the Christian aid organization.
Serge’s missionaries and their families serving in the DRC have been released from custody and surveillance and have arrived safely in the US, the organization said.
“I am full of gratitude to God for saving my life, to all who prayed for me, and to the many medical providers who cared for me,” Stafford said in a statement released by Serge. “I feel good and grateful to be reunited with Rebekah and the children. We pray for those in the Congo who are dealing with this devastating epidemic and the ongoing efforts to control this disease.”
Stafford has remained Ebola-free since May 30 and has continued to improve since being released from Berlin’s Charité University Hospital in Germany.
“Our hearts go out to our friends and colleagues in the Congo and those affected by this disease. Our work is more important than ever as we mobilize medical support and resources for our partners in the region,” said Matt Allison, executive director of Serge.
Efforts to contain the virus have also been hampered by a funding gap, attacks on health facilities and ongoing conflict in eastern Congo, which is the cause of the outbreak.
Clinical trials of the treatment began earlier this month after researchers launched a much-anticipated study hoping to fight the virus.
-From files from the Associated Press
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