FRANKFURT — U.S. health authorities are monitoring an Ebola case involving an American aid worker infected during the ongoing outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo, as the patient receives specialized treatment in Germany and officials continue efforts to prevent further transmission.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said it is working with the patient's employer, other U.S. government agencies and health partners in the Democratic Republic of Congo to identify high-risk contacts and support measures to contain the spread of the virus. The agency has said the risk to the American public remains low.
The patient, a U.S. citizen employed as a warehouse manager by the humanitarian organization Samaritan's Purse, tested positive for the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus while working in Congo, according to the CDC. The individual was medically evacuated to Germany and admitted early Monday to the high-level isolation unit at Frankfurt University Hospital.
Timo Wolf, head of the hospital's special isolation unit, said the patient was in stable condition after receiving early treatment. Hospital officials said strict infection-control procedures were in place and that the case posed no danger to the public.
The U.S. State Department has confirmed it is aware of the case and is providing assistance but has not released additional details, citing privacy considerations.
The infection comes amid a widening Ebola outbreak centered in eastern Congo. Health authorities have reported that the outbreak, caused by the Bundibugyo variant, has expanded beyond its initial areas and continues to generate new infections. The strain has no approved vaccine, and treatment consists primarily of supportive medical care while researchers continue evaluating experimental therapies.
According to Congolese health authorities, the outbreak has resulted in more than 1,900 confirmed cases and more than 700 deaths. International health agencies, including the CDC and the World Health Organization, are supporting surveillance, laboratory testing, contact tracing and infection-control efforts in affected communities.
The CDC has also maintained enhanced public health measures for travelers arriving from affected countries, including health screening and monitoring for people with potential exposure. The agency continues to advise Americans traveling to outbreak areas to follow public health guidance and monitor for symptoms for 21 days after leaving affected regions.
The current case follows another American infected during the same outbreak who was treated in Germany earlier this year and later discharged after recovering. U.S. officials have not reported any Ebola cases linked to the current outbreak within the United States and continue to assess the domestic public health risk as low.
