An American surgeon, Dr. Peter Stafford, contracted Ebola while working in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. He was in critical condition and struggled to stand when flown to Germany for urgent medical care on Tuesday, according to leaders of the Christian missionary organization known as Serge.
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Dr. Scott Maile, the East and Central Africa regional director for Serge, discussed the scene as Dr. Stafford was transported.
“There were personnel donned in personal protective equipment (PPE), and he was barely able to walk, relying on them for support,” Maile recounted. “He appeared extremely fatigued and ill.”
Dr. Stafford was serving at Nyankunde Hospital in the epicenter of the Ebola outbreak in Ituri province. Maile noted that just days before the outbreak was confirmed by the African Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Stafford had operated on a 33-year-old patient with severe abdominal pain, initially suspected to have a gallbladder infection.
“[Stafford] performed an abdominal procedure, confirming the gallbladder was normal, but unfortunately, the patient passed away the following day,” Maile explained.
Shortly after, it was discovered that the patient, who had been buried prior to testing, likely succumbed to Ebola. Stafford exhibited symptoms over the weekend and tested positive for the virus on Sunday, as per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“He is an extremely diligent professional, always wearing sterile attire, gloves, a hat, and glasses during surgeries,” Maile remarked. “However, this alone does not suffice to prevent Ebola transmission.”
Rebecca Stafford, Dr. Stafford’s wife, is also a physician and has treated the same patients. Maile mentioned that she and their four young children are still in the Democratic Republic of Congo and are under monitoring. Another doctor, Dr. Patrick Larochelle, is also believed to be infected by the second patient and is currently being observed, although no one is showing symptoms.
“While childhood Ebola cases are rare, we remain hopeful that this will not be the case here,” Maile expressed.
Maile added that Stafford self-isolated as soon as he noticed symptoms, which included chills, fever, muscle aches, fatigue, and nausea.
For his flight to Germany, Stafford was placed on a cylindrical plastic bed resembling a coffin to prevent infection risks amongst the crew.
The World Health Organization states that the Ebola virus has an incubation period of up to 21 days, and its leaders have expressed grave concern over the outbreak’s scale and spread.
It is suspected that the virus had been circulating for several weeks before confirmation. The rising death toll has surpassed 131, with 531 confirmed infections reported across Central Africa.
This outbreak is fueled by a rarer variant known as Bundibugyo, which currently has no approved vaccine or treatment. Previously, Bundibugyo outbreaks have had fatality rates ranging from 30% to 50%, according to the WHO.
Source: www.nbcnews.com
