OAN Staff Katherine Mosack
8:07 AM – Thursday, May 21, 2026
The American doctor who was transferred to a medical facility in Germany after contracting Ebola is reportedly feeling better and is in stable condition.
Dr. Peter Stafford, who is being treated in Berlin’s Charite University Hospital, is now able to eat, according to his colleague, Matt Allison, the executive director of Serge, a Christian missionary group, who spoke to ABC News on Wednesday.
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The two had been on a mission trip in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) when Stafford, 39, tested positive for Ebola. Allison reported that his condition has improved since arriving in Germany, however, and that he was texting his colleagues with updates.
“He needed assistance to walk. He was very weak. He was discouraged … he was talking about just being almost unable to think,” Allison said. “I mean [it] was the combination of the isolation, the uncertainty, feeling really sick. It was a lot to carry. And so I’m so glad that he’s responding quickly to us.”
The missionary continued, “He feels good. He’s eating. You know, one of the symptoms of Ebola is nausea and gastrointestinal issues, and so we’re so grateful that he’s able to eat now and we’re really encouraged by where he’s at right now.”
In a press release on Wednesday, Serge confirmed that all of its workers with potential exposure to Bundibugyo ebolavirus had been safely evacuated.
“The complex, coordinated efforts of many government agencies and international health authorities resulted in Peter Stafford’s safe transport and the protection of those involved in his transfer,” said Serge Area Director for East and Central Africa Dr. Scott Myhre. “Serge leadership extends their deepest gratitude to all involved in Peter’s care and is praying for all involved in the fight to end this ebolavirus outbreak for the good of the people of the DRC.”
Stafford, a board-certified general surgeon with a specialization in burn care, had been serving patients in Nyankunde in the DRC’s Ituri Province. His wife, 38-year-old Dr. Rebekah Stafford, and their four young children departed the country alongside 46-year-old Dr. Patrick LaRochelle, according to the organization. The two other doctors “have been following established quarantine and monitoring protocols and remain asymptomatic.”
The Staffords met in medical school at Ohio State University and were married in 2013. They initially moved to Africa in 2019 as part of Samaritan’s Purse’s two-year Post-Residency Program before they joined Serge in 2021.
On Thursday, the group heard from Stafford, who was “receiving superb care.”
“Before I was evacuated I was feeling really concerned I wasn’t going to make it. And now I’m cautiously optimistic,” Stafford shared.
Myhre said he had spoken to Stafford by phone and that he was showing “the predictable sequence of Ebola signs and symptoms.”
“Peter has also received two intravenous treatments designed to improve Ebola outcomes,” Myhre said. “The German care teams rotate in 3 hour shifts since they must wear full-body hazmat suits as they care for him. We’re thankful for their dedication and expertise.”
The doctor was able to periodically see his family through a window. The couple said they were relieved to have been able to see each other and “were finally able to have their first few hours of peaceful sleep following the window greeting.”
As of Thursday, LaRochelle had been transferred to Bulovka Hospital in Prague, though he remains asymptomatic.
The group requested prayer for the Stafford family and LaRochelle, as well as two Congolese hospital colleagues who were Ebola-positive. It created a site for people to donate to the Staffords to support their recovery.
The Ebola outbreak in the DRC has caused 139 suspected deaths and has nearly 600 suspected cases, according to an update from World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Wednesday.
“We expect those numbers to keep increasing, given the amount of time the virus was circulating before the outbreak was detected,” he stated during a press briefing in Geneva.
The Trump administration announced the Stafford family’s transfer to Germany this week and has been monitoring the situation.
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