June 16, 2026
Provided Image/Serge
Dr. Peter Stafford and his wife, Dr. Rebekah Stafford, have returned safely to the United States with their four children after Peter was declared Ebola free, according to the Montgomery County-based mission organization that employs them. Peter contracted Ebola last month while serving in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
An American doctor who contracted Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo has safely returned to the United States, the Montgomery County-based mission organization he worked for said Monday.
Dr. Peter Stafford was declared Ebola free on May 30 and released from a German hospital where he was being isolated and treated. All other health providers serving in Congo with Stafford also have been released and returned to the United States, according to Serge, the Christian missionary organization headquartered in Jenkintown.
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Stafford's wife, Dr. Rebekah Stafford, who also was treating patients in Congo through Serge, and their four children, were released from quarantine at the hospital and are back in the United States, too. They never showed symptoms of Ebola or tested positive for the virus, Serge said.
Stafford tested positive for Ebola last month while treating patients in Congo when the outbreak started and was evacuated to Germany on May 20.
"I am filled with gratitude to God for preserving my life, to all those who prayed on my behalf, and to the many medical providers who cared for me," Stafford said in a news release. "I am feeling well and thankful to be reunited with Rebekah and the kids."
The head of Africa's Centres for Disease Control and Prevention said the Ebola outbreak, declared May 15 in Congo, may be the worst ever, Reuter's reported Tuesday.
There have been more than 800 confirmed cases – including 192 deaths – since the start of the outbreak, according to the European Centre for Disease Control and Prevention.
Uganda has had 19 reported cases and one probable case, the World Health Organization said Monday.
