American Ebola Patient Transferred to Germany for Care

An American citizen who contracted Ebola in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has been moved to Germany for specialized treatment, as confirmed by the German health ministry. The patient, a humanitarian worker in his 60s, arrived in Frankfurt and was taken to the university hospital.

This marks the second instance of a U.S. national being treated in Germany during the current outbreak, which has resulted in over 1,900 confirmed infections and over 700 deaths since its declaration in mid-May. World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stated that the patient had been monitored prior to evacuation.

The U.S. government has announced new travel restrictions for Americans in the DRC, preventing them from boarding commercial flights directly to the U.S. The restrictions are enforced under Title 49, placing affected travelers on a “do-not-board” list until they have spent at least 21 days in a third country.

German officials assured the public that the risk of Ebola entering Germany is very low.