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The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed on Monday that one American has tested positive for Ebola as part of their work in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
The CDC is working with the State Department to move the American to Germany for treatment and care, Dr. Satish Pillai, the incident manager for the agency’s Ebola response, told reporters on a media call.
Six other Americans who have been exposed to the virus, in addition to the one who tested positive, were also being moved to Germany, according to the CDC.
The risk to the United States remains low, Pillai said.
The news of the infection comes after the World Health Organization declared the outbreak a public health emergency, with two cases confirmed in neighbouring Uganda and 80 deaths suspected due to the virus.
The World Health Organization declared an Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda a ‘public health emergency of international concern’ but said it does not meet the criteria for a pandemic. As of Saturday, the DRC’s Ituri province had reported 80 suspected deaths, eight laboratory-confirmed cases and 246 suspected cases across at least three health zones.
The CDC also issued an order on Monday suspending the entry of travellers to the U.S. who have departed from, or were present in, the DRC, Uganda, and South Sudan during the past 21 days, regardless of their country of origin, it said in a statement.
The measures will not apply to U.S. citizens, U.S. nationals, lawful permanent residents, members of the U.S. military, government personnel overseas, their spouses, and children, according to the order, which is in effect for 30 days.
“The risk of Bundibugyo (Ebola) virus disease introduction into the United States is heightened by the virus’ incubation period, which can extend up to 21 days, allowing infected individuals to travel internationally while asymptomatic and therefore unlikely to be detected through routine symptom-based screening measures,” the CDC said.
The agency said it would also screen and monitor travellers arriving from areas affected by Ebola outbreaks in the region and ramp up contact tracing, laboratory testing capacity and hospital readiness nationwide. It will also coordinate with airlines and port-of-entry officials to identify and manage travellers who may have been exposed to the virus.
The CDC will continue to deploy personnel to support outbreak containment efforts in affected regions, it said.
