The US doctor being treated for Ebola in Berlin's Charité hospital was discharged on Saturday after two weeks.
The hospital said the doctor is in good health after catching the virus in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. He has tested negative for the virus since May 30, so health authority officials lifted the isolation order at midday, in line with standard international guidelines.
The doctor was admitted to the Charité on May 20 after a PCR test established he had the rare Bundibugyo virus, the strain of Ebola that has been identified in the ongoing outbreak in central Africa.
His wife and four children arrived in Berlin shortly afterwards. They were classified as "high-risk contacts" but had no symptoms and were placed in quarantine in a separate part of the ward.
The patient thanked the Charité team who treated him.
"I received world-class care, including experimental therapeutics that are being evaluated for the treatment of this species of virus," he was quoted as saying in a statement issued by Charité. "Words do not adequately describe the gratitude that I have. (...) Our hearts remain with those in Congo who do not have the opportunity to receive the incredible care that we were given."
Ebola is a contagious and life-threatening disease transmitted through physical contact and contact with bodily fluids.
The outbreak in Congo, where the doctor was working, is proving particularly difficult to contain, partly because there is currently neither a vaccine nor a specific treatment for the Bundibugyo strain.
The patient was flown from Uganda to Berlin in a special aircraft, taken to the Charité under strict safety precautions and treated in a special isolation unit separate from regular hospital operations, ensuring that no contact with other patients can occur.
The German Health Ministry said that meant there was no danger to the public or other patients.
Gradual improvement
Initially, the man had a high viral load, was very weak and showed typical symptoms of an Ebola virus infection.
After a combination of antiviral therapy and accompanying medical measures, his symptoms subsided significantly within the first week. His condition improved steadily and his laboratory results returned to normal.
“We are very pleased with the successful course of treatment and regard this as a significant therapeutic success,” said Leif Erik Sander, Director of the Department of Infectious Diseases and Intensive Care Medicine at Charité.
Death toll mounting in Africa
The World Health Organization (WHO) says the Ebola outbreak in Congo and Uganda is still far from under control. Congo has 381 confirmed cases, including 62 deaths, according to the African health authority Africa CDC.
The true number is likely far higher, the WHO estimates. In neighbouring Uganda, 16 cases and one death have been confirmed so far.
According to the WHO, it remains difficult to isolate and monitor the contacts of infected individuals.
So far, local health workers have only managed to trace 45%of all people with whom those infected with Ebola have been in contact. However, to stop the spread of the viral disease, it is necessary to identify 90% of all contacts.
In 2014 and 2015, more than 11,000 people died during an Ebola epidemic in West Africa. Around 2,300 people died during the second-worst recorded outbreak, which hit eastern Congo in 2018 to 2020.
