American Missionary In Africa Tests Positive For Ebola

The Ebola virus is back.

As WLT Report previously covered, the World Health Organization announced on Sunday that the recent outbreak of Ebola in Africa is a global health emergency.

According to the CDC, there are 536 suspected cases of Ebola, and an estimated 134 people have died from the virus.

One of those cases involves an American doctor serving as a missionary in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Reuters provided the identity of the missionary and shared that he will be transported to Germany to receive medical treatment:

A U.S. citizen who contracted Ebola in the Democratic Republic ​of Congo, where an outbreak of a rare strain of the virus has killed over 130 people, is currently on his way to Germany for ‌treatment, the U.S. CDC said on Tuesday.
The patient has been previously identified by the Serge Christian mission organization as medical missionary Peter Stafford.

Germany earlier on Tuesday said it was preparing to treat the individual at the largest university hospital in Berlin.

The health ministry confirmed a U.S. citizen would be admitted to the special isolation ward at Berlin’s Charite University Hospital after U.S. authorities requested assistance.

“Arrangements are currently being made to admit and ​treat the patient in Germany,” a spokesperson said, adding that there was a network of experts in the country for the management and care of patients with ​highly infectious diseases.

Six others who are considered “high-risk contacts” are finalizing travel plans to transit to Europe, Dr. Satish Pillai, the incident manager ⁠for the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Ebola response, told reporters on a call.

“The individuals are traveling to Europe, including in Germany, and they will be in quarantine ​during their monitoring period,” Pillai said. One person will be going to the Czech Republic, and the rest to Germany, he said.
The outbreak of the rare Bundibugyo strain of the ​virus in eastern DRC has killed 131 people and been declared a public health emergency by the World Health Organization.

Evangelist Franklin Graham shared a photo of Dr. Stafford:

I would like to ask everyone to pray for Dr. Peter Stafford, the missionary physician who has been evacuated from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) after testing positive for the Ebola virus. Please also pray for his wife, Dr. Rebekah Stafford, and their four children. The…

— Franklin Graham (@Franklin_Graham) May 19, 2026

The CDC provided a timeline of the recent developments regarding the outbreak:

On May 17, an American who was exposed as part of their work caring for patients in DRC tested positive for Ebola Bundibugyo disease.

The person developed symptoms over the weekend and tested positive late on Sunday.

CDC is working hand-in-hand with the U.S. Department of State to move the patient to Germany for treatment and care. In addition to being a shorter flight time, Germany has previous experience caring for Ebola patients.
High-risk contacts associated with this exposure are also being moved to Germany.

As of May 19, the DRC and Uganda Ministries of Health report the following:

A total of 536 suspected cases, 105 probable cases, 34 confirmed cases, and 134 deaths.

In the last 24 to 48 hours, 26 new confirmed cases and 143 new suspected cases were identified, These numbers include 2 confirmed cases including 1 death in Uganda in people who traveled from DRC. No further spread has been reported.

On May 18, CDC, the Department of Homeland Security, and other appropriate federal agencies took proactive public health measures to prevent Ebola from entering the United States.

This is a rapidly evolving situation, and case counts are subject to change.

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On Monday, President Trump was asked whether he was concerned about Ebola, and this was his response:

🚨 BREAKING: The Trump admin has CONFIRMED an American has tested POSITIVE for Ebola, but they will NOT be brought back to the US

They will be treated in GERMANY

The CDC also confirmed they implemented a TRAVEL BAN on foreigners who've passed through Uganda, Congo, and South… pic.twitter.com/N7XteonAoW

— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) May 18, 2026

What are your thoughts?