The Charite public hospital in Berlin said the man – who had been working as a surgeon for a Christian missionary group in the DRC – and his five family members, who had all been in quarantine, were in “good health” and permitted to leave. The hospital published photos of the man, previously identified in reports as Dr Peter Stafford, 39. Stafford was said to have operated on a patient with Ebola in eastern DRC before the outbreak was officially declared on May 15th. The
Bundibugyo strain in the latest Ebola epidemic has no approved vaccines or treatments. Stafford said he received care that included “experimental therapies currently being trialed for this type of virus,” according to a hospital statement. He thanked the hospital and staff, saying “words cannot adequately express my gratitude,” but added that “our thoughts remain with the people in the Congo, who do not have access to such care.” The governments of the DRC and neighbouring Uganda have reported a total of 471 cases and 84
deaths, according to an overview from the World Health Organization released on Friday. The WHO has declared an international public health emergency over the outbreak, which the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention warned could swell to become the largest Ebola epidemic on record. The virus, which is spread through bodily fluids and close contact, can cause a deadly haemorrhagic fever that, in the latest strain, has a fatality rate of up to 50 percent. The Charite hospital said the American had “pronounced” Ebola
symptoms when he was admitted on May 20th, but “the initially high viral load decreased substantially under antiviral treatment and supportive care”. It said no virus had been detected in his system since May 30th. Stafford’s wife – also a doctor – and their children had been under quarantine too as high-risk contacts, but the isolation measures were lifted on Saturday. “Following a final examination, the patient and his family were discharged from Charite’s medical care today (Saturday) in good health,” the hospital said.
Charite, Berlin, Ebola, Dr Peter Stafford, May 20 admission, May 30 viral load, DRC, Uganda, World Health Organization, Bundibugyo strain, international public health emergency