U.S. missionary doctor with ebola receives emergency care in Germany

Dr. Peter Stafford, an American missionary doctor who contracted Ebola while working in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, says he is “cautiously optimistic” about his recovery after being flown to Germany for emergency treatment.

Stafford, 39, was transferred on May 19 to Charité University Hospital in Berlin, where he is receiving specialized care following exposure to the virus while treating patients at Nyankunde Hospital in Niakunde, where he has worked since 2023 as part of the Christian medical organization Serge.

In a statement released by Serge on May 21, Stafford said his condition had improved slightly since evacuation. 

“Before I was evacuated, I was feeling really concerned I wasn’t going to make it,” he said. “And now I’m cautiously optimistic.”

Medical officials involved in his care described him as “critically ill but not acutely deteriorating,” noting that his condition has begun to stabilize after the initial acute phase of the disease.

According to Dr. Scott Myhre, Serge’s Area Director for East and Central Africa, Stafford has progressed through the early stage of Ebola infection, which includes fever, fatigue, and body aches, and has now entered a phase marked by vomiting, diarrhea, and rash. Myhre said laboratory results are showing slight improvement.

He also confirmed that Stafford has received two intravenous treatments intended to improve Ebola outcomes while under care at the Berlin facility.

Hospital teams in Germany are reportedly rotating in three-hour shifts while wearing full protective hazmat suits to treat and monitor the patient under strict isolation protocols.

Stafford’s wife, Rebekah Stafford, and their four children have also traveled to Berlin. 

While currently asymptomatic, they are isolating within the hospital in a separate area and remain under medical observation due to potential exposure.

Despite the circumstances, the family has been able to see Dr. Stafford through a protective barrier, with reports indicating that the reunion has provided emotional relief during a difficult period.

“They were relieved to see each other and had their first few hours of peaceful sleep,” the organization said in a statement.

Ebola is a severe viral illness with a high mortality rate, according to health authorities, and is transmitted through contact with infected bodily fluids or contaminated materials. 

Symptoms typically progress from flu-like illness to more severe complications, including gastrointestinal distress and internal bleeding in advanced cases.

Stafford, who met his wife in medical school at The Ohio State University, has served for years in international medical missions. 

The couple married in 2013 and completed residency training in the United States before relocating abroad for humanitarian work.

As treatment continues in Berlin, medical teams say the coming days will be critical in determining the trajectory of his recovery, though early signs have provided cautious hope.