Germany receives American Ebola patient from DR Congo

An American humanitarian worker who contracted Ebola while working in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has been transferred to Germany for specialised medical treatment.

German health authorities confirmed that the patient arrived in Frankfurt overnight before being moved to the city's university hospital for continued care.

World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the patient had been working in Bunia, the capital of Ituri Province, which is at the centre of the country's latest Ebola outbreak.

“The patient has been safely transferred to Germany for continued follow-up care,” Tedros said, adding that the WHO had provided clinical care and close monitoring before the evacuation.

The DRC declared its 17th Ebola outbreak in mid-May. According to the WHO, the outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo strain of the virus, for which there is currently no approved vaccine or specific treatment.

The WHO said the current outbreak has recorded more than 1,900 confirmed cases and over 700 confirmed deaths.

Germany's Health Ministry assured the public that the patient poses no risk to the general public or other patients at the Frankfurt hospital, noting that the likelihood of an Ebola case entering Germany remains very low.

Officials said the United States requested Germany's assistance because of its expertise in treating Ebola patients and the shorter travel distance from the DRC compared with transporting the patient to the US.

The transfer comes only weeks after another American Ebola patient was successfully treated and discharged from Berlin's Charité Hospital following two weeks of specialised care.