By Kimberly White l Date: June 6, 2026
BERLIN, GERMANY — A United States doctor who contracted Ebola while working in the Democratic Republic of Congo has been discharged from a hospital in Germany after making a full recovery, marking a rare positive development amid efforts to contain the ongoing outbreak in Central Africa.
The patient, identified in earlier reports as Dr. Peter Stafford, had been transferred from Congo to Berlin’s Charité University Hospital in May after testing positive for the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus during medical service in eastern Congo. Health authorities coordinated an international medical evacuation and placed the doctor under specialist treatment and isolation protocols.
Hospital officials confirmed on Saturday that the American physician had recovered sufficiently to leave the facility after repeated testing showed no detectable virus. The discharge followed weeks of intensive monitoring and treatment in one of Germany’s specialized infectious disease units.
The doctor’s wife and children, who had also travelled to Germany because of potential exposure concerns, reportedly remained free of infection throughout the observation period. Medical teams continued precautionary monitoring while following international public health procedures.
The recovery comes as health authorities continue responding to the Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak affecting parts of the Democratic Republic of Congo and neighboring Uganda. International agencies have warned that although progress has been recorded through recoveries and expanded treatment capacity, challenges remain due to transmission risks and pressure on local health systems.
Global health experts say the successful treatment highlights the importance of rapid diagnosis, coordinated international response efforts, and access to specialized care in managing high-risk infectious diseases while broader containment measures continue across affected regions.