Trending Now - Ebola-stricken Doctor's Evacuation Sparks White House Debate

WHO:

[12:21 PM EDT] - CBS News - Dr. Peter Stafford, an American doctor infected with Ebola; Dr. Rebekah Stafford, his wife; their four children; Serge, a medical missionary organization; Dr. Scott Myhre, Serge director for East and Central Africa; Matt Allison, Serge's executive director.

[12:21 PM EDT] - The Washington Post - Five unnamed individuals familiar with the Ebola response.

WHAT:

[12:21 PM EDT] - CBS News - Dr. Peter Stafford was evacuated to a hospital in Berlin, Germany, after being infected with Ebola.

[12:21 PM EDT] - CBS News - Stafford reported feeling "cautiously optimistic" about his condition after evacuation.

[12:21 PM EDT] - CBS News - Nearly 600 suspected cases of the Bundibugyo ebolavirus outbreak have been reported, including 139 suspected deaths.

[12:21 PM EDT] - CBS News - Stafford was described as "critically ill but not acutely deteriorating" and had symptoms including vomiting, rash, and diarrhea.

[12:21 PM EDT] - CBS News - A third doctor, Dr. Patrick LaRochelle, was potentially exposed to the virus and is in quarantine in Prague.

WHERE:

[12:21 PM EDT] - CBS News - Dr. Peter Stafford was working in the Democratic Republic of Congo, specifically at Nyankunde Hospital in Bunia.

[12:21 PM EDT] - CBS News - Stafford was evacuated to a hospital in Berlin, Germany.

[12:21 PM EDT] - CBS News - Quarantine for Dr. Patrick LaRochelle is at Bulovka Hospital in Prague.

[12:21 PM EDT] - CBS News - U.S. citizens returning from Congo, Uganda, and South Sudan must fly into Washington-Dulles International Airport in Virginia.

WHEN:

[12:21 PM EDT] - CBS News - Dr. Peter Stafford has worked at Nyankunde Hospital since 2023.

[12:21 PM EDT] - CBS News - The Bundibugyo ebolavirus outbreak has spread to neighboring Uganda and South Sudan.

WHY:

[12:21 PM EDT] - The Washington Post - The White House resisted allowing Dr. Peter Stafford to return to the U.S., delaying his evacuation and care.

HOW:

[12:21 PM EDT] - CBS News - Ebolaviruses are transmitted through bodily fluids, and medical personnel are at high risk if exposed to sick patients.

[12:21 PM EDT] - CBS News - Supportive care for Ebola includes rehydration and specific symptom treatment.

(UPDATED May 21, 2026 17:50 UTC)

Dr. Peter Stafford, who has been working at Nyankunde Hospital in the Democratic Republic of Congo since 2023, was evacuated to a hospital in Berlin after being infected with Ebola, and he reported feeling "cautiously optimistic" about his condition despite being described as critically ill. Nearly 600 suspected cases of the Bundibugyo ebolavirus outbreak have been reported, with 139 suspected deaths, and a third doctor, Dr. Patrick LaRochelle, is currently in quarantine in Prague after potential exposure to the virus. U.S. citizens returning from Congo, Uganda, and South Sudan are required to fly into Washington-Dulles International Airport in Virginia, as the outbreak continues to spread in the region.