Second American Ebola Patient Treated in Germany as Washington Blocks Repatriation
The Trump administration’s refusal to return infected citizens to the US contrasts with available domestic capacity, while the WHO coordinates a response to the third-largest outbreak on record.
A US citizen employed by the evangelical organisation Samaritan’s Purse in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has tested positive for the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola and is receiving treatment in Frankfurt, Germany. This marks the second American infected in the current DRC outbreak to be treated abroad, following the first case, Dr Peter Stafford, who was also denied repatriation to the United States under the Trump administration.
The patient, a man in his 60s who worked as a warehouse manager, is described as being in stable condition and responding well to treatment in a special isolation unit at Frankfurt University Hospital. He was not involved in direct patient care at Ebola treatment centres, raising questions regarding the mode of transmission. The World Health Organization (WHO) provided initial clinical care for the patient before his transfer to Germany.
The Ebola outbreak in the DRC was declared on May 15, 2026, and is the third largest on record. As of July 12, 2026, the DRC has reported 1,926 cases and 702 deaths. The outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo strain of Ebolavirus, a lesser-known variant that continues to outpace health workers despite international efforts.
The US government, under the Trump administration, has implemented stringent travel restrictions and blocked the return of infected citizens, despite possessing multiple facilities designed to safely monitor and provide high-quality care for Ebola patients. The US has also withdrawn from the World Health Organization, though the WHO continues to coordinate the international response.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stated that the WHO is working intensively with the African Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) to control the outbreak. He called for an accelerated response from local, national, and international partners to curb the virus as it escalates.
The first American infected, Dr Peter Stafford, was treated in Berlin and has since returned to the US with his family. One of Stafford’s colleagues was exposed and sent to Prague for monitoring. The refusal to repatriate these citizens highlights a divergence between US policy and the operational realities of global health crises.
