Berlin’s Charite hospital has hailed the patient’s recovery as a major therapeutic breakthrough amid the expanding Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Published On 6 Jun 2026
An American physician who contracted Ebola while working in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has made a full recovery following more than two weeks of treatment in Germany, according to the Berlin hospital that treated him.
The Charite public hospital in Berlin said the man—identified in media reports as 39-year-old Peter Stafford—was in “good health” and had been cleared to leave quarantine on Saturday.
Stafford, a surgeon working with a Christian missionary organization in the DRC, was admitted on May 20 after tests confirmed he had contracted the rare Bundibugyo virus—the Ebola strain responsible for the ongoing outbreak in East and Central Africa. Authorities believe he acquired the infection while operating on an Ebola patient in eastern DRC, before the outbreak was officially declared on May 15.
Stafford was airlifted from Uganda to Berlin aboard a specialized medical aircraft and transferred to Charite hospital under stringent safety protocols.
His wife and four children, though asymptomatic, were initially classified as “high-risk contacts.” They arrived in Berlin shortly thereafter and were quarantined in a separate section of the facility. Their isolation restrictions were also lifted on Saturday.
Although three candidate vaccines are currently under development and being expedited for clinical trials, no approved vaccine yet exists for the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola.
In a hospital statement, Stafford said his treatment included “experimental therapies currently being trialled for this type of virus.”
He expressed profound gratitude to the hospital and its staff, stating that “words cannot adequately express my gratitude,” while adding that “our thoughts remain with the people in the Congo who do not have access to such care.”
Leif Erik Sander, director of the hospital’s Department of Infectious Diseases and Intensive Care Medicine, described the patient’s recovery as a “significant therapeutic success.”
Confirmed Cases in DRC Climb to 488
The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that the latest Ebola outbreak—originating in eastern DRC and now spreading into neighbouring Uganda—remains far from contained.
On Saturday, the DRC announced that its total number of Ebola cases had risen to 488, up from 452 reported just days earlier, including 86 deaths.
Uganda has confirmed 19 cases and two fatalities.
Uganda has largely sealed its western border with the DRC in an effort to curb cross-border transmission, a move that has frustrated traders who depend on the crossings for their livelihoods.
The WHO has declared an international public health emergency over the outbreak, which the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warned could grow into the largest Ebola epidemic on record—potentially rivalling the 2014–2016 crisis in West Africa.
Also Read
- The Jerusalem Post Launches Inaugural Asia-Pacific Summit in Sydney
- US Senior Advisor Proposes Unified Government Framework for Libya, FT Reports
- Japanese Authorities Investigate Major Ice Cream Manufacturers for Alleged Price-Fixing</TITLE]The investigation into suspected price-fixing cartels within the ice cream industry comes at a time when Japan is grappling with record-breaking summer temperatures.
- Emergency Response Saves Lives After Small Aircraft Crashes on Texas Highway