An American missionary doctor who contracted Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo has revealed he feared he was going to die before being evacuated to Germany for specialist treatment.
Doctor's Ordeal
Dr Peter Stafford, a 39-year-old board-certified general surgeon specializing in burn care, tested positive for the Bundibugyo ebolavirus earlier this week after treating patients in eastern DRC's Ituri Province.
'Before I was evacuated I was feeling really concerned I wasn't going to make it,' Stafford said in a statement released by Serge, the international Christian missions organization that employs him. 'And now I'm cautiously optimistic.'
Stafford is now receiving care at Berlin's Charite University Hospital in Germany. He has received two IV treatments designed to improve Ebola outcomes, according to Dr Scott Myhre, Serge's Area Director for East and Central Africa.
Condition and Treatment
Myhre described Stafford as critically ill but not acutely deteriorating. He has passed through the first phase of non-specific symptoms, including fever, aches and fatigue, and has now entered a phase with vomiting, diarrhea and rash. His lab results are trending slightly in the right direction.
The German medical teams caring for Stafford rotate in three-hour shifts because they must wear full-body hazmat suits to protect themselves from the highly contagious virus.
Stafford has begun eating small amounts of food and reports feeling better than he did the day before.
Family Situation
Another American physician, Dr Patrick LaRochelle, 46, is in quarantine in Prague and remains asymptomatic, as the outbreak has already claimed at least 130 lives in the region with more than 600 suspected cases.
Stafford's wife, Dr Rebekah Stafford, a 38-year-old physician, and their four young children have also arrived in Berlin. They are staying in a separate space within the same hospital and remain asymptomatic. Rebekah was able to see her husband through a window, and hospital staff hopes to provide that access to him periodically.
Ebola Outbreak
The Ebola outbreak, which was officially confirmed on May 15 by the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention and the DRC's Ministry of Health, is centered in Mongwalu, a town about 25 miles north of where the Stafford family had been based in Bunia.
Stafford had been serving at Nyankunde Hospital in eastern DRC since 2023, treating vulnerable patients in a region with limited access to healthcare. He and his colleagues were following strict international safety protocols when the outbreak began, but the virus is highly contagious and spreads through contact with bodily fluids.
How Ebola Attacks the Body
Ebola hijacks the body's own immune system and turns it against itself. Once inside the bloodstream, the virus primarily targets the lining of blood vessels and the cells that help blood clot.
Normally, when a person gets a small cut or bruise, their body seals off the damaged blood vessels and stops the bleeding. But Ebola interferes with that process. The virus attacks the cells that form the walls of tiny blood vessels called capillaries, causing them to become leaky and fragile.
At the same time, Ebola destroys the liver's ability to produce clotting factors, or proteins that act like a biological bandage. Without enough clotting factors, even minor damage to blood vessels can lead to uncontrolled bleeding.
This combination, including leaky blood vessels and an inability to clot, allows blood to seep into surrounding tissues. Patients may develop visible bruising, bleeding from the gums or nose, and blood in their vomit or stool.
In severe cases, internal bleeding can lead to hemorrhagic shock, where the body loses so much blood that vital organs no longer receive enough oxygen. As bleeding continues and blood pressure drops, the body's organs begin to shut down. The kidneys, which filter waste from the blood, are especially vulnerable. Without enough blood flow, they stop functioning properly, allowing toxins to build up in the body.
The liver, already compromised by the virus, also begins to fail. This creates a vicious cycle: the liver cannot produce clotting factors, which worsens bleeding, which further damages the liver. The lungs may fill with fluid, making it difficult to breathe. The pancreas can become inflamed, contributing to severe abdominal pain and vomiting.
Ultimately, multiple organs fail in sequence — a condition known as multi-organ failure — which is the most common cause of death in Ebola patients.
Survival Rates and Treatments
The fatality rate for the Bundibugyo ebolavirus variant that infected Dr. Stafford averages between 30 and 40 percent, according to the World Health Organization. That means roughly one in three people who contract this specific strain do not survive.
For comparison, the more common Zaire strain — responsible for the West African epidemic between 2014 and 2016 — has a much higher fatality rate of up to 90 percent in some outbreaks.
Newer treatments, like the intravenous therapies Dr Stafford received, are designed to boost the immune response or directly target the virus, improving survival odds significantly compared to the 2014 outbreak, when no specific treatments were available.
The Bundibugyo variant that infected Stafford is generally considered less deadly than the Zaire strain, which was responsible for the West African epidemic that killed more than 11,000 people between 2014 and 2016. Even so, the average fatality rate for Bundibugyo is around 30 to 40 percent.
Statement from Serge
Serge leadership said in a statement: 'Our hearts are with the Stafford family and with the Congolese communities facing this outbreak,' said Matt Allison, Executive Director of Serge. 'We are praying for healing, protection, and mercy for all affected.'
