An American humanitarian worker infected with Ebola in the Democratic Republic of the Congo arrived in Germany for treatment on Monday, prompting the Trump administration to block US citizens in the DRC from returning home on commercial flights.
The patient landed overnight in Frankfurt and was transferred to the city's university hospital, according to The Guardian.
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This marks the 17th Ebola outbreak in the DRC, which began in mid-May.
US Travel Restrictions
The US government placed affected individuals on a "do-not-board" list until they complete a 21-day waiting period in a third country.
The move disrupted travel plans for about two dozen Americans scheduled to fly out on Tuesday.
German health officials requested the patient's transfer due to the country's specialized expertise and shorter flight times from Africa.
Another American patient successfully recovered after two weeks of isolation in Berlin last May.
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World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus confirmed that the global body initially managed the patient's care in the northeastern Ituri province.
"The patient has been safely transferred to Germany for continued follow-up care," he said.
The ongoing outbreak involves the Bundibugyo strain, which currently lacks any vaccine or cure. It has caused more than 700 confirmed deaths from 1,900 cases.
"The risk of someone infected with Ebola entering Germany is very low," said the German health ministry.
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The ministry assured the public that the American patient poses no danger to the general population or other hospitalized individuals in Frankfurt.
