US Secretary of State Marco Rubio expressed gratitude towards the Czech government for taking care of an American citizen evacuated from the ongoing Ebola outbreak in Central Africa.
‘Thanks to PM Andrej Babiš and all of the healthcare professionals in Prague who are taking care of the American evacuated from the Ebola outbreak. We are deeply appreciative for Czechia’s help,’ Rubio wrote on X.
The patient, identified by Czech authorities as an American doctor who came into contact with an Ebola patient in Uganda, was transported under strict isolation measures to Prague’s specialized infectious disease facility at Faculty Hospital Bulovka. According to Czech Health Minister Adam Vojtěch, the patient currently shows no symptoms and poses ‘no real risk’ to the public. Nevertheless, the American citizen is expected to remain in precautionary isolation for three weeks.
According to Czech officials, Washington specifically requested Prague’s assistance because of Czechia’s expertise in handling highly infectious diseases. Germany has also reportedly accepted another American Ebola patient for treatment.
The case comes amid growing international concern over a rapidly worsening Ebola outbreak centred in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo and neighbouring Uganda. The World Health Organization (WHO) has already declared the situation a ‘public health emergency of international concern’, warning that the virus spread undetected for weeks across densely populated and conflict-ridden regions.
Ebola is one of the world’s deadliest viral diseases, causing severe fever, internal bleeding, organ failure, and often death. Depending on the strain and the availability of medical care, mortality rates can range from around 25 per cent to more than 80 per cent. The virus spreads through direct contact with the bodily fluids of infected individuals or contaminated surfaces.
The current outbreak involves the rare Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, which is considered especially dangerous because transmission chains remained undetected for an extended period in regions with weak healthcare infrastructure. WHO officials estimate that more than 130 deaths may already be linked to the outbreak, while hundreds of suspected cases remain under investigation.
Despite growing concern, health authorities currently do not believe Europe faces an immediate large-scale Ebola threat. WHO officials stated this week that the global risk remains ‘low’, although the regional risk within Central Africa is considered high.
Nevertheless, the evacuation of infected or exposed Western nationals to Europe has revived memories of the 2014–2016 Ebola crisis, which killed more than 11,000 people in West Africa and triggered global panic. The current outbreak has already prompted heightened airport monitoring and travel warnings across Europe and the United States.
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