U.S. doctor with Ebola feared he "wasn't going to make it" before evacuation

HealthWatch U.S. doctor with Ebola feared he "wasn't going to make it" before evacuation from Congo .chip { background-image: url('/fly/bundles/cbsnewscore/images/chip-bgd/chip-bgd-healthwatch.jpg'); } By Kerry Breen Kerry Breen News Editor Kerry Breen is a news editor at CBSNews.com. A graduate of New York University's Arthur L. Carter School of Journalism, she previously worked at NBC News' TODAY Digital. She covers current events, breaking news and issues including substance use. Read Full Bio Kerry Breen May 21, 2026 / 12:21 PM EDT / CBS News Add CBS News on Google An American doctor who was infected with Ebola while working with a medical missionary organization in Africa said in a statement that he is feeling "cautiously optimistic" as he fights the deadly virus. Dr. Peter Stafford was working with the missionary group Serge in the Democratic Republic of Congo when he was infected with the virus, the group said. He was evacuated to a hospital in Berlin, Germany, to receive care, the group said Tuesday."Before I was evacuated I was feeling really concerned I wasn't going to make it. And now I'm cautiously optimistic," Stafford said in a statement shared by Serge. Stafford's wife, Dr. Rebekah Stafford, who also works with Serge, and their four children were also evacuated to Germany, Serge said. They are asymptomatic and are being isolated and monitored, the group said Thursday. The Bundibugyo ebolavirus outbreak in Congo, which has spread to neighboring Uganda and South Sudan, is likely larger than what has officially been reported, health officials have warned. There are so far nearly 600 suspected cases, including 139 suspected deaths, the World Health Organization said.Stafford was exposed to the virus during a surgery at Nyankunde Hospital in Bunia, a city in eastern Congo, Serge said in an earlier statement. He has worked at the hospital since 2023, according to the group. Ebolaviruses are transmitted from person to person through...