The second US citizen has contracted Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) since the outbreak began in May of this year. The head of the World Health Organization (WHO), Tedros Ghebreyesus, said that the patient had already been taken to Germany for further treatment and medical observation.
According to Reuters, the sick American, aged about 60, is a full-time employee of the humanitarian organization Samaritan's Purse. In DR Congo, he worked as a warehouse manager. According to WHO, the man became infected in Bunia, the administrative center of Ituri province in the east of the country. On Monday he was taken to a special unit at the University Hospital Frankfurt in Germany.
“The patient’s condition is currently stable,” said department head Timo Wolf.
The clinic emphasized that there is no threat to the population or other patients: the department is completely isolated from the rest of the hospital.
Last week, the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) called the outbreak the fastest-growing Ebola epidemic ever recorded on the continent.
The number of confirmed Ebola cases in DR Congo has risen to 1,926, with 702 deaths, Reuters notes. As the National Institute of Public Health of the Democratic Republic of Congo reported on Monday, the virus has spread to two more provinces – Haut-Uélé and Tshopo.
The current outbreak is caused by the rare Bundibugyo virus, for which there are no approved vaccines or proven treatments. Earlier this month, the first clinical trials of the experimental drug began.
Containing the spread of infection is also hampered by a lack of funding and the ongoing armed conflict in the east of the country.
“As the outbreak grows, there is an urgent need to accelerate the response from local, national and international partners. “WHO is working intensively, under the leadership of the country's authorities and together with the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, to bring the outbreak under control as quickly as possible,” Ghebreyesus said.
The first American became infected in the first week after the Ebola outbreak in DR Congo and neighboring Uganda was officially declared a “public health emergency of international concern.” He was also transported to Germany for treatment, and was discharged from the hospital in July.
Initially, the administration of US President Donald Trump hoped to send Americans who might have contracted the deadly virus abroad to a specialized medical center in Kenya. However, the project was suspended by decision of a Kenyan court. As RTVI previously reported, the construction plans caused discontent among local residents and led to protests.
Despite the injunction pending the outcome of the proceedings, Kenyan authorities continue to support the project. President William Ruto called the rejection “inhumane,” citing years of American aid.
