An American medical missionary has tested positive for the Ebola virus in the Democratic Republic of Congo, prompting the United States to trigger rare emergency public health laws to restrict entry from the virus-hit region.
Dr. Peter Stafford, a physician working for the international Christian charity Serge, was confirmed to have contracted the Bundibugyo strain of the virus in Bunia, located in the DRC’s northeastern Ituri province. U.S. health officials announced Monday they are working to relocate Stafford and six other directly affected individuals to Germany for specialized medical care.
In response to the growing threat, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) invoked Title 42, a 1944 public health law that allows the government to restrict entry into the country to prevent the spread of communicable diseases.
This marks only the second time the law has been used in the modern era, following its controversial application during the COVID-19 pandemic. The new restrictions, effective for at least 30 days, target non-US passport holders who have traveled through the DRC, Uganda, or South Sudan within the last 21 days.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the epidemic a “public health emergency of international concern,” warning that a high positivity rate suggests the outbreak may be significantly larger than currently detected. As of Sunday, the CDC reported 10 confirmed and 336 suspected cases in the DRC, while more than 100 suspected deaths have been linked to the region.
While the CDC assessed the immediate risk to the US public as “low,” the State Department has issued new advisories warning against travel to the DRC and Uganda. In Kampala, the US embassy has temporarily suspended all visa services.
Public health experts have expressed concern over the passport-based restrictions. Dr. Jeanne Marrazzo, head of the Infectious Diseases Society of America, noted that while immigration controls can stem infections, they must be coupled with rigorous screening. “Pathogens don’t recognize passports,” Marrazzo said.
The current outbreak is particularly “extraordinary” because there are no approved vaccines or treatments for the Bundibugyo strain, which carries an estimated fatality rate of 25% to 40%. Efforts to contain the virus are being hampered by years of conflict and aid cuts in the region, which health officials say have crippled local surveillance systems.