A U.S. citizen working in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has tested positive for Ebola, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said this week, as health officials continue to respond to the outbreak in Central Africa.
The patient, whose name has not been released, works with a humanitarian organization and is now the second American known to have contracted Ebola during the current outbreak.
The first was Dr. Peter Stafford, who was evacuated from Congo to Germany in May during the outbreak’s opening week and has since made a full recovery.
FILE – A health worker prepares a patient’s blood sample for testing at Bunia General Hospital in Bunia, Congo, June 11. (Moses Sawasawa/AP Photo, File)
In a statement Friday, the CDC confirmed it was “aware of a U.S. citizen working for a humanitarian organization in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) who has tested positive for Bundibugyo virus, a type of Ebola.”
The agency said it is coordinating with the patient’s employer, other U.S. federal agencies, Congolese public health authorities and local partners to reduce the risk of additional spread. Those efforts include contact tracing and risk assessments aimed at identifying people who may have had high-risk exposure.
Stafford returned to the United States last month after testing negative for Ebola.
“I am filled with gratitude to God for preserving my life, to all those who prayed on my behalf, and to the many medical providers who cared for me,” Stafford said in a statement. “I am feeling well and thankful to be reunited with Rebekah and the kids. Our prayers continue for those in Congo who are facing this devastating epidemic and for the ongoing efforts to control the disease.”
A health worker stands at the Evangelical Medical Center in Bunia, eastern Congo, where Ebola clinical trials are scheduled to take place. (Dirole Lotsima Dieudonne/AP Photo)
This is the fastest-growing Ebola outbreak ever recorded in Africa with 1,830 confirmed cases in Congo, including 648 deaths, according to the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Cases have also been reported in Uganda.
Bundibugyo virus has no approved vaccine or treatment.
Last month, a French doctor tested positive for the virus after returning to Paris and no cases have been detected in the U.S.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has said the risk of a global outbreak of the virus, which is not airborne but spreads through bodily fluids, remains low.
Health workers interact at the Evangelical Medical Center in Bunia, eastern Congo, where Ebola clinical trials are scheduled to take place. (Dirole Lotsima Dieudonne/AP Photo)
Congolese authorities declared an Ebola outbreak on May 15.
The U.S. ramped up security precautions after the outbreak was declared, including enhanced health screenings for citizens returning from the region and restricted entry for non-U.S. citizens in the region.
