Health officials said one U.S. aid worker tested positive after exposure in eastern Congo.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. health officials said Sunday that at least six Americans working in eastern Congo were exposed to a dangerous Ebola outbreak, including one aid worker who tested positive after treating patients near the city of Nyankunde.
The outbreak involves the rare Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, which has no approved vaccine or targeted treatment. Federal officials said the immediate threat to the American public remains low, but emergency monitoring, airport screening and international containment operations have expanded as confirmed and suspected infections continue rising in central Africa.
Officials said the Americans were exposed while working at medical facilities in Congo’s Ituri province, where healthcare workers have struggled to contain growing infection clusters. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said three Americans were classified as high-risk contacts after treating infected patients. Another American later developed symptoms and tested positive. The infected worker, identified as Dr. Peter Stafford, was being transferred to Germany for specialized treatment after working alongside international aid teams at Nyankunde Hospital.
Health authorities said the outbreak has spread rapidly through rural communities already weakened by violence, displacement and poor medical infrastructure. The World Health Organization reported at least 10 confirmed Ebola cases, more than 330 suspected infections and at least 88 deaths linked to the outbreak as of Sunday. Two infections were also confirmed in neighboring Uganda, including one connected to cross-border travel from Congo. Investigators said several transmission chains remain unclear as officials continue tracing contacts across villages and transportation routes.
The Bundibugyo strain was first identified in Uganda in 2007 and has appeared only a few times since then. Scientists estimate the strain carries a fatality rate between 25% and 50%. Public health experts warned that existing Ebola vaccines and treatments developed for the more common Zaire strain may not work effectively against the current outbreak. Officials also said some standard screening tools may fail to detect early Bundibugyo infections, creating additional challenges for hospitals and border health checkpoints.
Eastern Congo has faced repeated Ebola emergencies during the past decade, including the massive Kivu outbreak that killed more than 2,200 people between 2018 and 2020. Aid organizations said distrust of authorities and fear of treatment centers continue to slow containment efforts in remote communities. Residents in affected villages described growing anxiety as healthcare teams moved door-to-door conducting contact tracing, isolation procedures and medical screening operations.
Federal officials announced enhanced monitoring procedures for travelers arriving from Congo, Uganda and South Sudan. The CDC said exposed Americans would remain under observation throughout Ebola’s 21-day incubation period. Specialized medical evacuation systems and isolation transport procedures were activated for infected personnel. International agencies also said additional field hospitals and emergency treatment centers are expected to open in Congo later this week as investigators work to identify new transmission clusters.
Medical workers in protective equipment continued disinfecting hospital wards Sunday while armed checkpoints controlled movement near outbreak zones. Local nurses described shortages of supplies and growing public fear as rumors spread through affected communities. “People are scared because they remember earlier Ebola outbreaks,” one healthcare worker said outside a treatment center in Ituri province.
Health officials said investigations into additional suspected infections are continuing in Congo and Uganda. Updated case numbers and monitoring reports are expected later this week as international containment operations expand.
Author note: Last updated May 18, 2026.