A US citizen infected with the Ebola virus is to be treated in Germany, according to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), a US health authority.
The man is a doctor who had been working in the Democratic Republic of Congo when he tested positive for the deadly virus over the weekend.
Because of the shorter flight times from the Democratic Republic of Congo, and the experience of some German hospitals with caring for Ebola patients, the infected doctor - as well as six known contact persons - is set to be transferred to Germany.
The German Health Ministry confirmed to AFP on Tuesday that it was preparing to admit and treat a US citizen who contracted Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
"US authorities have requested assistance from the German government in treating a US citizen who contracted Ebola in Congo," a ministry spokesperson said. "Preparations are currently underway to admit and treat the patient in Germany."
The ministry later specified that "the patient will be admitted and treated in the special isolation ward of the Charite hospital in Berlin".
"We would like to thank our German colleagues as well as the ministries of health of the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda who were involved in making this measure possible," the CDC said in a statement.
US media reports identified the patient as Dr. Peter Stafford, a medical missionary with the Christian missions organisation Serge. He was said to have been exposed to the virus while treating patients at Nyankunde Hospital, where he had been working along with other missionaries, including his wife, since 2023.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared an international health emergency due to an Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda. A rare virus variant for which there is no vaccine is responsible.
The risk of contagion throughout the wider region is considered high.
The outbreak is thought to have started around the third week of April, but was not reported until early May, according to the Africa CDC.
The US announced Monday that it is bolstering precautions to prevent the spread of Ebola, including screening air travellers from outbreak-hit areas and temporarily suspending visa services in those regions.
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