A United States citizen who became infected with the Ebola virus while in the Democratic Republic of Congo has been admitted to Frankfurt University Hospital in Germany, according to officials.
The patient was brought into the hospital’s specialized isolation unit at approximately 3 a.m. local time Monday morning. The individual contracted the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus while in Congo.
Earlier, on Friday, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced that an American working for a humanitarian organization in Congo had tested positive for the Bundibugyo Ebola virus.
Timo Wolf, who leads the hospital’s special isolation unit, provided an update on the patient’s status. “The patient’s condition is currently stable,” Wolf said.
Hospital officials emphasized that neither the general public nor other patients face any danger, explaining that the infected individual is being kept in complete isolation within a unit that is both physically and operationally separate from the rest of the hospital.
The news comes as Congo’s Ebola situation continues to worsen. The country’s public health institute reported Monday that confirmed cases have climbed to 1,926, with 702 deaths recorded. The outbreak has also expanded into two previously unaffected provinces — Haut-Uele and Tshopo.
This is not the first time a U.S. citizen has been transported to Europe for Ebola treatment. In June, another American who contracted Ebola in Congo was released from Charité hospital in Berlin after receiving care there.
