Ebola disease

Frequently asked questions on the Ebola outbreak in Africa in May 2026

After the outbreak of Ebola disease in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and initial cases in Uganda, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared a public health emergency of international concern on 17 May 2026. In the context of the current outbreak, Germany provided the medical care for a US patient who contracted Ebola in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. You can find up-to-date frequently asked questions here.

How great a risk does the Ebola outbreak in Africa pose to the population of Germany?

In principle, the risk is considered very low.

The largest Ebola outbreak to date, in West Africa in 2014/15, showed that the risk of a person infected with Ebola entering Germany is very low even in scenarios where African cities with international flight connections are affected by an outbreak.

How long is the incubation period for an Ebola infection?

The incubation period is between 2 and 21 days, the mean period being 6 to 10 days.

How is Ebola diagnosed?

Diagnosis is by means of molecular genetics (PCR). Serological procedures for antigen and antibody detection as well as virus isolation using cell culture can serve as confirmatory diagnosis.

When is a suspicion of Ebola disease justified?

Only persons who entered Germany from regions with Ebola cases in the last 21 days, have at least a fever or elevated temperature with symptoms consistent with Ebola AND have a contact history with persons who contracted or died from Ebola disease, their bodily fluids or (sick) wildlife are considered to be justified suspect cases of Ebola.

Are people receiving medical care in Germany?

Because of the short flight time compared to the US, the US authorities requested May 2026 assistance from the Federal Government in treating a US citizen who contracted Ebola in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The patient was taken to the Isolation Ward for Patients with High Consequence Infectious Diseases at Berlin’s Charité university hospital.

The US authorities also issued a request for assistance for the family members (wife and 4 children), who had also been in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and qualified as close contacts. The persons have been brought to the specialised isolation ward of Berlin’s Charité university hospital.

[Update: June 6, 2026] The U.S. citizen who contracted the Ebola virus in the Congo and was treated at Charité was discharged from medical care following the lifting of the isolation order. In its third statement Charité provides an update on the patient’s condition.

How was the patient transported?

The US government organised and ensured transportation from Uganda to Germany using a special aircraft for the transport of highly infectious patients.

Transportation from the airport to Charité university hospital took place in a special infection control ambulance that is specifically equipped for the transport of patients with highly infectious diseases.

The family members were taken to Charité university hospital using the same method.

Why was the patient brought to Germany?

Germany has medical expertise in the treatment of Ebola disease as well as competency in the safe implementation of medical evacuations of infected patients according to the highest safety and isolation standards. For example, three confirmed Ebola patients were already treated in Germany back in 2014. Against this backdrop and in view of the shorter flight time compared to the US, the US authorities requested assistance from the Federal Government in treating a US citizen who contracted Ebola in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Germany has a nationwide network of experts for the management and care of patients with high-consequence infectious diseases. This permanent working group of competence and treatment centres for high consequence infectious diseases (STAKOB) has already provided care to infected persons in the past.

Top-class medical care is ensured in the specialised isolation wards. The specialised isolation wards are distributed geographically (Berlin, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt/Main, Hamburg, Leipzig, Munich, Stuttgart) such that they can be reached easily by land from any place in Germany (within a drive of no more than 4 to 5 hours). There is also functioning monitoring of suspected cases.

Is there a risk to the general population if patients are being treated in Charité university hospital in Berlin?

There was absolutely no risk to the general population or to other patients at Charité university hospital. The patient was being received and treated in complete isolation at the specialised isolation ward. The unit is completely separate from the hospital’s regular operations, both spatially and organisationally. This means there is no contact with other patients.

The most stringent security standards apply also when dealing with potentially contaminated materials. The wastewater from the patient is being collected in special tanks, treated and neutralised before being returned in a controlled manner to the wastewater system. Any waste – including used PPE – is being collected separately and disposed of safely by a specialised company. Furthermore, the air is being purified by two filter systems before leaving the building.

What precautions are needed?

The patients must be kept separate in accordance with the Law on Infection Protection and treated in a suitable facility (specialised isolation ward). In the case of a justified suspicion of Ebola disease, the laboratory examination for Ebola virus can be carried out in a suitable biosafety level 3 laboratory (BSL-3 lab). If an Ebola virus infection is confirmed, the initial laboratory examination must be carried out in a biosafety level 4 laboratory (BSL-4 lab).

What is special about the specialised isolation ward at Charité university hospital?

The specialised isolation ward at Charité university hospital has a highly specialised infrastructure designed to care for patients with High Consequence Infectious Diseases and to manage medical situations with undetermined chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear contaminations, known as CBRN incidents. Designed as a self-contained and secure unit, the ward allows the safe isolation, diagnosis and treatment of up to 20 persons at a time without compromising regular hospital operations.

A major advantage of this structure is its operational independence and flexibility. The ward has its own access routes, airlock systems, ventilation and filtration systems with negative pressure technology as well as a closed wastewater treatment system. This ensures safe and secure patient care even with select pathogens or in case of the above-mentioned contamination incidents. The ward can operate flexibly at various biosafety levels – from precautions in case of unclear exposure to maximum isolation precautions using positive pressure protective suits and extended decontamination protocols.

The specialised isolation ward marries the highest safety standards with the combined medical proficiency of Charité university hospital. Not only can patients be diagnosed and monitored while in isolation, but they can also receive ICU care at the highest level, including mechanical ventilation, organ replacement procedures or dialysis as well as surgery. This makes Charité university hospital unique in managing even complex and undetermined diseases or incidents while ensuring complete biocontainment security.

Why is a specialised isolation ward so important?

Especially in times of growing risks from pandemics, biological health hazards, hybrid threats or highly critical contamination scenarios, having such a specialised infrastructure available is a key element of modern public health security. It enables swift responses, protects patients and health workers while at the same time boosting the resilience of the entire healthcare system. This structure is a particularly valuable asset to have in Germany’s capital city, making us more resilient and crisis-proof.

How do doctors and nurses at Charité’s specialised isolation ward work?

The specialised isolation ward is not only the largest unit of its kind in Germany, but also the only one that directly combines infectiology and intensive care. Expertise in both fields is pooled here and benefits from regular specialised training: Staff regularly complete comprehensive follow-up training programs and additionally train specific routines and emergency scenarios twice a month.

The medical staff only enter the isolation areas wearing special PPE with an integrated air filtration system. Putting on this PPE is complex and takes about 20 minutes to complete, removing it and subsequent disposal also takes about 20 minutes. Since working under these conditions is physically exhausting, doctors and nurses can only work for strictly limited periods of time. Two to three staff at a time provide round-the-clock care for the patient directly on the ward. In addition, one or two more staff outside of the isolation ward continuously keep track of the patient’s vital signs via monitors.

What would happen if an air passenger were to develop Ebola-like symptoms?

If an air passenger develops symptoms consistent with Ebola, the pilot is required by the Act Implementing the International Health Regulations (IGV-DG) to report this to the air traffic control unit; the unit then alerts the destination airport and the public health office. The competent public health office can order the aircraft to divert to an airport designated under the IGV-DG that is specially prepared to handle infectious disease threats (formerly known as “sanitary airports”). There, the patient would be isolated and interviewed by a doctor from the competent public health office. If the suspicion of Ebola infection turns out to be justified, the passenger would be taken to a specialised isolation ward for diagnosis and treatment. At the same time, close contacts of such patients (passengers seated next to the patient and persons directly taking care of them) would be registered by the public health office and instructed on further steps (especially self-monitoring for disease symptoms over the following 21 days).

Charité university hospital informs about Ebola patient’s state of health

On May 20, 2026, Charité admitted a U.S. citizen with a Bundibugyo Ebola virus infection to its special isolation ward. The symptoms of Ebola infection, which were pronounced upon admission and during the first few days of treatment, subsided significantly within the first week under combined antiviral therapy and additional supportive medical measures. This was reflected in continuous clinical improvement and the normalization of laboratory values.

The initially high viral load decreased significantly under antiviral therapy and other treatment measures. Since May 30, no virus has been detected in the daily follow-up tests. In accordance with internationally accepted criteria—complete freedom from symptoms for more than 72 hours and negative virus detection in repeated PCR tests—the responsible public health department was able to lift the isolation order today at 12:00 p.m.

The five family members of the 39 years old patient, who had been classified as high-risk contacts, were in quarantine at Charité. Throughout the entire observation period, none of them exhibited symptoms of infection. Regular laboratory tests also failed to detect the Bundibugyo Ebola virus. At 12:00 p.m. today, the responsible public health department lifted the quarantine order for the family, 21 days after the last high-risk contact.

Following a final examination today, the patient and his family were discharged from Charité’s medical care in good health. “We are very pleased with the successful course of treatment and consider this a significant therapeutic success,” said Prof. Leif Erik Sander, Director of the Department of Infectious Diseases and Critical Care Medicine within the Division of Infectious Diseases, Pulmonology, and Critical Care Medicine at Charité. “On behalf of the entire team, we would like to thank all the participating disciplines and departments that made the successful treatment in the special isolation ward possible.”

He added: “Charité’s special isolation unit has once again proven to be an indispensable component in managing highly pathogenic infections. Only by maintaining this specialized infrastructure, along with expertise in infectious diseases and highly qualified staff, is it possible to provide effective medical treatment to patients like this one under the highest safety standards. In light of increasing global risks, this case underscores the crucial importance of such specialized facilities for public health security.”

The patient also expressed his gratitude to the entire Charité team: “I want to thank the entire team at Charité who cared for me while I was sick with Ebola. Words do not adequately describe the gratitude that I have. I received world-class care, including experimental therapeutics that are being evaluated in the treatment of this species of virus. Thank you to everyone who made this possible. Our hearts remain with those in Congo who do not have the opportunity to receive the incredible care that we were given.”
Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin has been treating a U.S. citizen infected with an Ebola virus in its specialized isolation unit. The pronounced symptoms present at the start of treatment have markedly subsided over the past few days. Both the patient’s clinical condition and laboratory results have continued to improve. Initial high viral loads have dropped substantially under antiviral and supportive therapy. Overall, the treatment team expects a full recovery. The patient remains isolated and under close medical surveillance to ensure continued improvement.

The patient’s five family members, classified as high‑risk contacts, remain in quarantine. None have shown symptoms to date, and laboratory tests have so far detected no Bundibugyo Ebola virus.

The medical team is maintaining close coordination with public health authorities, the Robert Koch Institute, and national and international experts.
Charité university hospital in Berlin admitted a US citizen who had contracted the Ebola virus to its specialised isolation ward. One day later, he was joined by his wife and four children. His wife and children were officially ordered to undergo mandatory quarantine.

The patient has been laboratory-confirmed by PCR testing as being infected with the Bundibugyo virus, a strain of Ebola virus. While he is showing clear symptoms of the disease and is very weak, he is not critically ill at this point in time and not in need of intensive care measures or organ replacement procedures. However, since the course of this disease tends to fluctuate, he is being closely monitored and receiving constant medical attention. He has been placed in the high-security area of the specialised isolation ward.

The patient’s wife and children, who are classed as high-risk contacts, are currently asymptomatic and quarantined in a separate part of the ward. They did not test positive for Ebola virus infection in an initial PCR test.

In addition to providing the best medical care for the family, Charité aims to support them in every way they can in this challenging situation. On the ward, they have access to care by psychologists of Charité, and a patient room was made as child-friendly as possible, including toys, to keep the children occupied and take their minds off the situation.

The infected patient’s wife and children are not allowed into the area where he is being treated, but they can interact with their husband and father thanks to a glass partition to the isolation room and can communicate via intercom.

Charité’s specialised isolation ward is not only the largest unit of its kind in Germany, but also the only one that directly combines infectiology and intensive care. Expertise in both fields is pooled here; staff undergo specialised training at regular intervals. The specialised isolation ward at Charité university hospital has a highly specialised infrastructure designed to care for patients with High Consequence Infectious Diseases and to manage medical situations with undetermined chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear contaminations, known as CBRN incidents. Designed as a self-contained and secure unit, the ward allows the safe isolation, diagnosis and treatment of up to 20 persons at a time without compromising regular hospital operations.

The family have of course given their prior consent to the publication of this health information. May we ask you to refrain from further questions at this point in time.

Additional information

Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Robert Koch Institute will provide information on current developments on its website.
General information on Ebola

BIÖG provides FAQs on Ebola disease as well as a pathogen factsheet on its website.