An American missionary doctor who contracted Ebola while working in the Democratic Republic of Congo has shared his harrowing experience, revealing he feared for his life before being airlifted to Germany for advanced medical treatment.
Dr. Peter Stafford, a 39-year-old general surgeon recognized for his expertise in burn care, was diagnosed with the Bundibugyo ebolavirus shortly after providing medical assistance in the Ituri Province of eastern DRC.
“Prior to my evacuation, I was genuinely worried that I might not survive,” Stafford expressed in a statement from Serge, the international Christian missions group he is affiliated with. “Now, I am cautiously optimistic about my recovery.”
Currently, Stafford is receiving medical attention at Charite University Hospital in Berlin, Germany. He has been administered two intravenous therapies aimed at enhancing his chances of overcoming Ebola, according to Dr. Scott Myhre, the Area Director for East and Central Africa at Serge.
Dr. Myhre noted that although Stafford remains critically ill, his condition has not worsened significantly. He has moved past the initial phase of general symptoms such as fever, aches, and fatigue and is now experiencing more severe symptoms like vomiting, diarrhea, and a rash. Encouragingly, his laboratory results show slight signs of improvement.
The dedicated German medical team responsible for Stafford’s care works in three-hour shifts to manage the challenging conditions posed by the highly infectious virus, wearing full-body hazmat suits for their protection.
Stafford has begun eating small amounts of food and reports feeling better than he did the day before.
Another American physician, Dr Patrick LaRochelle, 46, is in quarantine in Prague and remains asymptomatic, as the outbreak has already claimed at least 130 lives in the region with more than 600 suspected cases.
Dr Peter Stafford, on the stretcher, a 39-year-old burn surgeon, tested positive for Ebola earlier this week after treating patients in eastern DRC
Stafford’s wife, Dr Rebekah Stafford, a 38-year-old physician, and their four young children have also arrived in Berlin.
They are staying in a separate space within the same hospital and remain asymptomatic. Rebekah was able to see her husband through a window, and hospital staff hopes to provide that access to him periodically.
The Ebola outbreak, which was officially confirmed on May 15 by the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention and the DRC’s Ministry of Health, is centered in Mongwalu, a town about 25 miles north of where the Stafford family had been based in Bunia.
Stafford had been serving at Nyankunde Hospital in eastern DRC since 2023, treating vulnerable patients in a region with limited access to healthcare.
He and his colleagues were following strict international safety protocols when the outbreak began, but the virus is highly contagious and spreads through contact with bodily fluids.
Ebola hijacks the body’s own immune system and turns it against itself. Once inside the bloodstream, the virus primarily targets the lining of blood vessels and the cells that help blood clot.
Normally, when a person gets a small cut or bruise, their body seals off the damaged blood vessels and stops the bleeding. But Ebola interferes with that process.
The virus attacks the cells that form the walls of tiny blood vessels called capillaries, causing them to become leaky and fragile.
The Stafford family is pictured leaving the DRC. They are staying in the same hospital but remain asymptomatic. Rebekah Stafford has seen her husband through a window, and staff hope to allow periodic visits
At the same time, Ebola destroys the liver’s ability to produce clotting factors, or proteins that act like a biological bandage. Without enough clotting factors, even minor damage to blood vessels can lead to uncontrolled bleeding.
This combination, including leaky blood vessels and an inability to clot, allows blood to seep into surrounding tissues. Patients may develop visible bruising, bleeding from the gums or nose, and blood in their vomit or stool.
In severe cases, internal bleeding can lead to hemorrhagic shock, where the body loses so much blood that vital organs no longer receive enough oxygen.
As bleeding continues and blood pressure drops, the body’s organs begin to shut down. The kidneys, which filter waste from the blood, are especially vulnerable. Without enough blood flow, they stop functioning properly, allowing toxins to build up in the body.
The liver, already compromised by the virus, also begins to fail. This creates a vicious cycle: the liver cannot produce clotting factors, which worsens bleeding, which further damages the liver.
The lungs may fill with fluid, making it difficult to breathe. The pancreas can become inflamed, contributing to severe abdominal pain and vomiting.
Ultimately, multiple organs fail in sequence — a condition known as multi-organ failure — which is the most common cause of death in Ebola patients.
The fatality rate for the Bundibugyo ebolavirus variant that infected Dr. Stafford averages between 30 and 40 percent, according to the World Health Organization. That means roughly one in three people who contract this specific strain do not survive.
The Stafford family is pictured. Stafford had served at a DRC hospital since 2023, treating patients in a region with limited health care. He followed safety protocols, but Ebola spreads through bodily fluids
For comparison, the more common Zaire strain — responsible for the West African epidemic between 2014 and 2016 — has a much higher fatality rate of up to 90 percent in some outbreaks.
Newer treatments, like the intravenous therapies Dr Stafford received, are designed to boost the immune response or directly target the virus, improving survival odds significantly compared to the 2014 outbreak, when no specific treatments were available.
The Bundibugyo variant that infected Stafford is generally considered less deadly than the Zaire strain, which was responsible for the West African epidemic that killed more than 11,000 people between 2014 and 2016. Even so, the average fatality rate for Bundibugyo is around 30 to 40 percent.
Serge leadership said in a statement: ‘Our hearts are with the Stafford family and with the Congolese communities facing this outbreak,’ said Matt Allison, Executive Director of Serge. ‘We are praying for healing, protection, and mercy for all affected.’
