From Congo to Germany - US doctor infected with Ebola rushed to Berlin secure unit for care

"An American doctor that became infected with Ebola in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has been flown to Berlin’s Charite hospital for specialist treatment. Dr. Peter Stafford was evacuated along with his wife and four children, as the World Health Organization (WHO) issued a warning over the 'scale and speed' of the outbreak. Footage from Wednesday shows ambulances outside the hospital, with a sign reading 'Restricted area, risk of infection, access prohibited', and the isolation ward cordoned off. A journalist can also be seen reporting from outside the hospital. Dr. Stafford, a surgeon and leader of the Christian missionary group Serge, had been working at Nyankunde Hospital in DRC's Ituri province, where the outbreak was first confirmed by the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). He had unknowingly operated on an Ebola patient before the outbreak had been identified. The patient died the next day and was buried before testing. Stafford later developed symptoms and tested positive on Sunday. His wife, Rebekah Stafford, also a doctor, along with their children are being monitored for symptoms of the disease. The WHO reports over 600 suspected cases and 139 deaths, mostly in the DRC, with a small number of cases in Uganda. While the global risk remains low, the regional threat is considered severe. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the numbers are expected to rise and described the epidemic in the DRC as 'much larger'. He also responded to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s criticism that the WHO’s Ebola response was 'a little late', saying the remarks may stem from a misunderstanding of international health regulations and the respective responsibilities of the WHO and other entities. Ebola is a severe, often fatal viral disease in humans and primates, named after the Ebola River in the DRC where it was first identified. It causes hemorrhagic fever, damages blood vessels, and leads to organ failure. Ebola spreads through direct contact with the bodily fluids of an infected, symptomatic person or deceased individual."

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