American Aid Worker Tests Positive for Ebola After DRC Exposure

TUESDAY, May 19, 2026 (HealthDay News) — An American doctor who was exposed to Ebola while working in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has tested positive for the disease, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Dr. Peter Stafford, a surgeon working with the Christian missions organization Serge in DRC since 2023, has been safely evacuated and is receiving treatment, the group said in a statement. 

Stafford, a board-certified general surgeon with a specialization in burn care, was serving patients in Bunia, in eastern DRC’s Ituri Province – where the Ebola outbreak was recently identified, according to the statement. 

Stafford developed symptoms over the weekend and tested positive late Sunday. He was transported Germany for treatment and care along with six other Americans who are high-risk individuals who will be monitored, said Dr. Satish Pillai, the incident manager for CDC's Ebola Response. 

Two other physicians — Stafford’s wife, Dr. Rebekah Stafford, and Dr. Patrick LaRochelle — are asymptomatic and are being monitored, noted the statement. The Staffords’ children are also being monitored, according to The Washington Post.

“All three medical professionals have strictly adhered to established quarantine protocols since the potential exposure,” the statement said.

Germany was chosen to receive the group for practical reasons. 

Pillai explained that the country has previous experience caring for Ebola patients and travel time from the DRC is shorter, enabling the evacuees to reach points of care quickly.

"We want to thank our German colleagues, the DRC and Ugandan ministries of health involved in facilitating this," Pillai said on a moderated call. "I want to remind you that this remains a highly fluid situation, and we will continue to update you as we learn more."

He added that the CDC, U.S. Department of Homeland Security and other federal agencies have taken proactive public health measures to prevent Ebola from entering the United States. The measures include:

• Enhancing public health screening and monitoring for travelers arriving from Uganda, DRC or South Sudan 

• Putting entry restrictions on non-U.S. passport holders who have traveled to these areas within 21 days

• Coordinating with airlines, international partners and ports of entry to identify and manage potentially exposed travelers 

• Enhancing port health protection response activities, contact tracing, lab testing capacity and hospital readiness nationwide

• Deploying CDC personnel as needed to support and execute outbreak containment efforts

Pillai said there are no approved drugs or vaccines for Bondibugyo, one of the viruses that causes the current strain of Ebola disease.

He said the risk to the United States remains low.

"CDC is actively involved in this response, and we're working across domestic and international partners," he said. "Everything we do is focused on the people affected and the security of Americans here and abroad."

As of May 18, there are reports of 11 confirmed cases and 336 suspected cases, including 88 deaths in DRC, according to the CDC. These numbers are subject to change.

More information 

Additional information on Ebola disease is available at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

SOURCES: U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Ebola update, May 18, 2026; Serge.org, statement, May 19, 2026; The Washington Post, May 19, 2026