US TIGHTENS EBOLA CONTROLS AS OUTBREAK IN DRC WORSENS
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Agency Report
The United States has announced new precautionary measures aimed at preventing the spread of Ebola, including enhanced airport screening for travellers arriving from affected regions and a temporary suspension of visa services in some locations.
The measures were announced on Monday by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) following a declaration by the World Health Organization (WHO) classifying the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) as an international health emergency.
In a briefing, Satish Pillai, CDC’s Ebola response incident manager, confirmed that a US citizen had contracted the virus after exposure related to work in the DRC.
“The person developed symptoms over the weekend and tested positive late Sunday,” Pillai said, adding that efforts were underway to transfer the patient to Germany for specialised treatment.
He also revealed that the US was working to evacuate six additional individuals for medical monitoring, noting that about 25 Americans are currently stationed in the CDC field office in the DRC.
According to the CDC, the risk to the general US public remains low, though officials said monitoring and response measures would continue to be adjusted as the situation evolves.
As part of the new restrictions, the CDC said travellers who are non-US passport holders may be denied entry if they have visited Uganda, the DRC, or South Sudan within the past 21 days. The US Embassy in Kampala also announced a temporary suspension of visa services, with affected applicants already notified.
Health authorities in the DRC have reported around 350 suspected cases and at least 91 deaths linked to the outbreak. Most cases are among people aged 20 to 39, with women accounting for more than 60 percent of infections.
The Ebola strain involved has no approved vaccine or specific treatment, raising concerns among global health officials as containment efforts continue.
Despite the heightened response, the CDC maintained that it is working closely with international partners, including deploying personnel to assist with contact tracing, laboratory testing, and outbreak control operations in affected regions.
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