An American physician has shared an update after testing positive for Ebola while caring for patients in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned it may take as long as nine months for a vaccine targeting this specific Ebola strain to become available, after the agency classified the outbreak as a ‘public health emergency’.
WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said there have been 600 suspected infections and 139 suspected deaths so far, with expectations that those figures will climb.
The doctor, who became infected during his work treating patients, has described how at one stage he feared he would not survive.
Dr. Peter Stafford, a missionary with the Christian organization Serge, contracted Ebola while working at Nyankunde Hospital in Niakunde, Democratic Republic of the Congo, where he has served since 2023.
The 39-year-old was quickly evacuated to a specialist facility in Berlin, Germany, travelling with his family. He is now undergoing Ebola-focused treatment alongside other patients receiving care for the virus.
Serge said Dr. Scott Myhre, the organization’s Area Director for East and Central Africa, has been in contact with Dr. Stafford and described the illness’s progression.
“Peter is continuing to show the predictable sequence of Ebola signs and symptoms.
“He passed through the first days of nonspecific symptoms (fever, aches, fatigue), and has now passed into a phase with vomiting, diarrhea, and rash.”
Dr. Myhre added that although Dr. Stafford remains critically unwell, there are signs pointing toward improvement.
“Before I was evacuated I was feeling really concerned I wasn’t going to make it. And now I’m cautiously optimistic.”
The father-of-four has been given two intravenous treatments intended to improve outcomes for people infected with Ebola while being treated in Berlin.
Medical staff caring for Ebola patients are wearing full hazmat suits to reduce transmission risk, and teams rotate duties in three-hour shifts.