A US national who caught Ebola in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has been flown to Germany for treatment, weeks after a similar case, while Washington bars American citizens in the DRC from returning on commercial flights.
Key facts
- A US national infected with Ebola in the DRC arrived in Germany for treatment, Berlin's health ministry said Monday.
- The patient is an aid worker flown to Berlin.
- This follows another American infected with Ebola in the DRC who was treated in Berlin weeks earlier.
- The Trump administration said Monday it was blocking American citizens in the DRC from traveling to the US on commercial flights, Reuters reported.
A US national who contracted Ebola in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has arrived in Germany for treatment, the health ministry in Berlin said on Monday, according to the Guardian.
The patient, described as an aid worker, was flown to Berlin. The case comes weeks after another American infected with Ebola in the DRC was also treated in the German capital.
On the same day, the Trump administration said it was blocking American citizens in the DRC from traveling to the United States on commercial flights, Reuters reported, citing a White House official.
The developments underline the ongoing risk faced by health and aid workers responding to Ebola in the DRC, as well as the logistical challenges of managing infected patients who need specialist care.
Germany has now handled at least two US Ebola cases originating in the DRC in a matter of weeks, with Berlin serving as a treatment destination for the aid workers involved.
The source material did not provide further details on the patient’s condition, the specific facility treating them, or the full scope of the US travel restrictions.
Why it matters
Ebola is a severe and often fatal disease, and the transfer of infected patients across borders highlights both the dangers to aid workers and the international coordination required to treat them. The US move to bar commercial flights home raises questions about how affected Americans in the DRC will be repatriated and how the outbreak is being managed.
Frequently asked questions
Where is the US Ebola patient being treated?
The patient, a US national who contracted Ebola in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, has arrived in Germany and was flown to Berlin for treatment, according to Berlin's health ministry.
Is this the first American Ebola case treated in Germany?
No. According to the Guardian, this case comes weeks after another American infected with Ebola in the DRC was treated in Berlin.
What travel restrictions has the US imposed?
The Trump administration said on Monday it was blocking American citizens in the DRC from traveling to the US on commercial flights, Reuters reported, citing a White House official.