A US citizen infected with the Ebola virus is to be treated in Germany, US authorities said on Monday.
The person had worked in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and tested positive late on Sunday, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said.
Because of shorter flight times and Germany’s experience in caring for Ebola patients, the infected person is being transferred to Germany, along with six high-risk contacts. No information was provided on their nationalities.
There were also no details on the exact treatment location in Germany.
According to US media reports, the infected person is a doctor. An international Christian missions organization said a US medical worker had contracted the virus while treating patients at a hospital in the DRC.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared an international health emergency over an Ebola outbreak in the DRC and Uganda.
The outbreak involves a rare variant of the virus for which there is no vaccine. The risk of spread across the wider region is considered high.
According to African health agency Africa CDC, the outbreak probably began in the third week of April but was not reported until early May.