American doctor working in Congo has tested positive for the deadly Ebola virus

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An American contracted Ebola while working in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where the outbreak is spreading across parts of Africa, U.S. health authorities said.

The American developed symptoms over the weekend and tested positive late Sunday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Monday.

The U.S. government is planning to fly the person and six high-risk contacts to Germany for treatment and monitoring, said Dr. Satish Pillai, the incident manager for the CDC’s Ebola response. The CDC didn’t identify the person or specify the nature of their work.

Serge, a Christian organization, said its missionary Dr. Peter Stafford was exposed to the virus while treating patients at a hospital in northeastern Congo. Two other doctors, including Stafford’s wife, and the couple’s four children were being monitored, the organization said.

An outbreak of the potentially deadly virus began in Congo and has spread to neighboring Uganda. The World Health Organization declared a global health emergency this month over the Ebola outbreak.

“To the American public, the risk to the United States remains low,” Pillai said.

About 80 people have died and around 250 possible cases have been reported, according to the WHO. The agency said there were likely more cases that had not yet been detected. Authorities identified the first case in April. The WHO warned that neighboring countries are at high risk for further spread.

Ebola, a viral disease with no known cure, spreads when someone comes into contact with blood or body fluids from an infected person. There is no vaccine for the Bundibugyo virus that caused the outbreak, unlike for other Ebola strains. The strain kills about 30% of people who contract it, according to the CDC.

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