American Samaritan’s Purse Worker With Ebola Flown To Germany As WHO Warns Outbreak May Be Far Larger (Worthy News In-Depth)

by Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Europe Bureau Chief

FRANKFURT/GENEVA/KINSHASA (Worthy News) – An American aid worker with the Christian charity Samaritan’s Purse who contracted Ebola in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has arrived in Germany for treatment, the health ministry in Berlin said Monday, amid warnings that the potentially deadly disease is spreading much faster than official figures suggest.

The American patient reportedly landed in Frankfurt overnight and was transferred to the city’s University Hospital, just weeks after another Ebola-infected U.S. citizen was successfully treated in Germany, officials said.

Evangelist Franklin Graham, president and CEO of Samaritan’s Purse, said the patient was “doing well.”

“He sat up today. He was joking, and he’s on the mend, so we’re thankful for that. But we just thank God, and we’re thankful for all the prayers people have prayed for him.”

The patient, identified by Samaritan’s Purse as a man in his 60s, served as a warehouse manager in the DRC rather than directly treating Ebola patients. The organization said he became infected while supporting its humanitarian operations in the outbreak zone.

FASTEST-GROWING OUTBREAK

The World Health Organization (WHO) said the aid worker had been serving in Bunia, the capital of Ituri province, the epicenter of the country’s 17th Ebola outbreak, declared in mid-May. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the patient received clinical care before being safely transferred to Germany for continued treatment.

German officials stressed that the patient poses no danger to the public or other hospital patients, adding that Germany was asked to assist because of its internationally recognized expertise in treating Ebola and the shorter flight time from central Africa.

Another American infected during the current outbreak was treated in Berlin earlier this year and recovered after about two weeks in isolation.

However, hundreds of other patients have died, and the WHO warned Tuesday that the outbreak could be two to four times larger than official figures indicate.

Although authorities have confirmed nearly 2,000 infections and more than 700 deaths, WHO emergencies director Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu said many cases remain undetected.

WHO SOUNDS ALARM

“The scale of the outbreak is at least two to four times the number of cases that we have found,” he told reporters in Geneva after returning from the DRC.

He added that the current epidemic is already the third-largest Ebola outbreak on record and the fastest-growing ever documented in Africa over a comparable period.

The WHO also warned that it has received less than half of the roughly $115 million it needs for the first six months of the response, hampering efforts to contain the disease.

Asked why Samaritan’s Purse workers continue serving despite the dangers, Graham said their motivation comes from the example of Jesus Christ.

“Our example comes from Jesus Christ,” Graham added. “Jesus cared for the suffering and those who were hurting. He touched them, healed them, loved them. We respond to the hurts of this world, and we do it in Jesus’ name.”

CHRISTIAN MISSION

He acknowledged that many patients arrive at treatment centers too late to be saved.

“About 30 percent of those reaching our facility die, largely because they wait so long before seeking treatment,” Graham explained, adding that limited supplies of the monoclonal antibody treatment MBP134 have complicated efforts to save lives.

Graham stressed that Samaritan’s Purse continues supplying protective equipment, hygiene stations, medical supplies, and public health education through local churches to help communities prevent further transmission.

Yet, as Ebola spreads, U.S. President Donald J. Trump’s administration announced that Americans currently in the DRC would temporarily be barred from boarding commercial flights to the United States under federal transportation guidelines aimed at preventing the international spread of Ebola.

Affected U.S. citizens will generally be required to spend at least 21 days in a third country before returning to the United States while receiving assistance from U.S. officials, Worthy News learned.

TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS

The current outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus, for which there is currently no licensed vaccine or specific approved treatment.

Ebola spreads through direct contact with the bodily fluids of infected people or animals. Symptoms include high fever, severe vomiting, diarrhea, and, in many cases, internal and external bleeding. Without rapid treatment and supportive care, the disease can be fatal.

Health officials say early detection, patient isolation, contact tracing, and adequate medical resources remain crucial to preventing the outbreak from spreadingfurther.

Samaritan’s Purse has been involved in combating Ebola for more than a decade, operating emergency treatment units and supporting healthcare workers during previous outbreaks, including the devastating 2014–2016 West Africa epidemic. The organization says it will continue to serve communities in the DRC despite the risks to its staff.

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