EBOLA OUTBREAK IN CONGO AND UGANDA NEARS 500 CASES AS FIRST AMERICAN TESTS POSITIVE AND U.S. ISSUES TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS

An American physician working in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has tested positive for Ebola, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed Monday, marking the first known American case in the current outbreak. Dr. Peter Stafford, a missionary with the organization Serge, was evacuated to Germany for treatment after contracting the Bundibugyo variant of the virus while performing surgery at Nyankunde Hospital in Bunia, eastern Congo, CBS News reported.

The outbreak, which has spread across parts of the DRC and neighboring Uganda, had grown to nearly 500 suspected cases and 116 deaths as of Monday, according to United Nations figures. The World Health Organization expressed concern over the rapid pace of spread. The Bundibugyo strain, first identified in Uganda in 2007, carries a lower fatality rate than the more widely known Zaire strain but remains a serious public health threat with no widely available approved treatment.

On May 18, the CDC and Department of Homeland Security implemented enhanced travel screening and entry restrictions to limit the risk of the virus reaching the United States. The CDC said it is deploying a response team to assist local health authorities in the affected region. No cases have been confirmed in the United States as a result of the current outbreak, and officials said the risk to the American public remains low.

The infection of a foreign medical worker in eastern Congo follows a pattern seen in previous outbreaks, where aid workers and surgeons operating in conflict-affected zones have been among the earliest cases identified outside the immediate outbreak area. Eastern Congo remains one of the world's most volatile regions, with ongoing armed group activity limiting access for international health responders. The CDC said it is working with partners on the ground to contain the spread.