Under observation - American doctor exposed to rare Ebola strain placed in strict isolation at Prague hospital

"An American missionary doctor who was heavily exposed to the rare Bundibugyo strain of Ebola while working in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Uganda has been placed under 21-day preventative isolation at a hospital in Prague. Footage from Saturday shows the Bulovka University Hospital complex, where Dr Patrick LaRochelle is being monitored for symptoms. Dr LaRochelle was exposed to the virus in the DRC and Uganda while working alongside Dr Peter Stafford, who has recently tested positive for the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola and is currently receiving treatment in Germany. Although Dr LaRochelle is currently asymptomatic, the US Embassy requested international assistance to ensure his safe isolation during the virus's 21-day incubation period due to the elevated risk of potential infection. The doctor reportedly arrived in Prague on Wednesday night aboard a private US aircraft. Reports indicate he landed directly on the tarmac at Vaclav Havel Airport to minimise public exposure and was then transferred to Bulovka Hospital in a sealed bio-isolation unit. An Ebola outbreak was officially declared in DRC's Ituri province on May 15. At the time of publication, more than 300 suspected cases and over 130 deaths have been recorded across Ituri and North Kivu provinces. Several cases and one death have also been confirmed in Uganda."

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