U.S. Health Officials Assess Americans’ Ebola Exposure in Democratic Republic of Congo Outbreak

A suspected Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo involving the Bundibugyo strain has prompted U.S. health officials to assess whether “a number of Americans currently in the Democratic Republic of Congo are believed to have had exposure to suspected cases,” with “several deemed to have had high-risk exposures,” STAT News reported on Sunday.

“A new Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has killed 65 people”

diwanfm.net

Reuters said it could not immediately verify the STAT report, and noted that “At least one of these individuals may have developed symptoms,” while the World Health Organization declared the outbreak a public health emergency of international concern after “80 suspected deaths.”

diwanfm.net

STAT reported that “there are not yet test results for any of the individuals,” and said the U.S. government was reportedly trying to arrange to transport them out of the DRC to be safely quarantined and cared for if they proved infected.

STAT also said the CDC held a hastily called news conference on Sunday, but when asked whether any Americans have been exposed and whether the government planned extricating them, CDC incident manager Satish Pillai “did not answer the questions.”

On May 17, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said it was escalating its response to the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda after the World Health Organization labeled it a public health emergency of international concern.

Dr. Satish Pillai, the CDC’s Ebola response incident manager, told reporters that “The risk to the United States remains low,” and said the CDC plans to deploy additional staff and provide technical support including “laboratory testing, contact tracing and surveillance.”

Newsweek

The Straits Times reported that the CDC activated its emergency response centre and said the outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo ebolavirus strain, with “no approved vaccine or treatment,” while Pillai added that infected people can transmit Ebola when they are symptomatic.

Politico reported that Pillai told reporters, “Travelers to the region should avoid contact with sick people, report symptoms immediately and follow our travel health guidance,” and said the CDC declined to confirm whether any Americans in the DRC have been exposed or infected.

The WHO declared the Ebola outbreak a public health emergency of international concern on May 17, and Reuters reported that the declaration came after “80 suspected deaths,” while the outbreak was described as involving the Bundibugyo strain in Bunia, Ituri province.

“The United Nations' health agency has declared an Ebola outbreak in two African countries a "public health emergency of international concern," with no cases reported in the U”

Newsweek

USA Today said the WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus announced the outbreak of the Bundibugyo virus, that it has killed “at least 80 people” with “nearly 250 suspected cases” in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo as of May 16, and that Uganda officials confirmed two cases in Kampala including one death among people traveling from Congo.

USA Today also quoted Dr. Tom Frieden saying, “This is a serious and potentially devastating Ebola outbreak,” and said Frieden alleged the U.S. withdrawal from WHO and other Trump administration actions have been “reckless.”

In the same coverage, USA Today reported that on May 17 the CDC said it activated its emergency response center and that Pillai declined to answer multiple questions asking whether any Americans have been exposed, while he said “risk to the American people is low.”