The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is escalating its response to the ongoing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda, after the World Health Organization labeled the outbreak a public health emergency.
The agency plans to deploy additional staff to the affected countries and will provide technical support including laboratory testing, contact tracing and surveillance through its country offices, said Satish Pillai, the CDC’s Ebola response incident manager, on a call with reporters Sunday. It has also activated its emergency response center.
“The risk to the United States remains low,” Pillai said. The outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo ebolavirus strain and has no approved vaccine or treatment. Infected people can transmit Ebola when they are symptomatic, he added.
The actions come after the WHO declared the Ebola outbreak a public health emergency of international concern on Sunday — stopping short of a “pandemic emergency” declaration — as it looks to mobilize support against the rare strain of the virus. The WHO said the strain has likely been spreading undetected in the region for weeks.
Congo has reported eight confirmed cases, 246 suspected infections and 80 suspected deaths in the Ituri province, according to the WHO. Uganda has recorded two infections and one death among travelers from Congo.
The CDC did not confirm whether Americans in Congo have been exposed to the virus.
The agency was notified of the outbreak in Congo on May 14 and the Uganda outbreak on May 15, Pillai said. The Atlanta-based agency is identifying employees to deploy to the countries early this week and add to the more than 30 people already on staff in each country, Pillai said.
The agency has also posted two travel health notices for Americans to practice enhanced precautions. The impacted countries have exit screening strategies in place at local airports to monitor infections, and the US is adding measures to identify symptomatic people at ports of entry, Pillai said.
The cross-border transmission, unexplained clusters of deaths and major uncertainty about the scale of the outbreak caused the WHO to designate the outbreak as the highest level of international concern.
“This event is considered extraordinary,” WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in the declaration, which is intended to mobilize international funding and response efforts. It’s the first declaration of this type since mpox was designated a global health emergency in 2024.
Read More: How Ebola Outbreak Is Testing Congo After US Aid Cuts: Explainer
The CDC is also working to contain an outbreak of hantavirus linked to a cruise ship that has killed three people. Currently, 41 people who were exposed to the virus are being monitored.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is intensifying its response to the ongoing Ebola outbreak affecting the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda, following the World Health Organization’s (WHO) designation of the outbreak as a public health emergency. This escalation includes deploying additional staff to the affected regions and providing critical technical support, such as laboratory testing, contact tracing, and surveillance, as stated by Satish Pillai, the CDC’s Ebola response incident manager, during a recent press call. Furthermore, the CDC has activated its emergency response center to better coordinate its efforts.
Despite the seriousness of the outbreak, Pillai reassured that the risk to the United States remains low. This particular outbreak is attributed to the Bundibugyo ebolavirus strain, which currently has no approved vaccine or treatment available. He emphasized that infected individuals can only transmit the virus when they are symptomatic, highlighting the importance of monitoring and containment.
The WHO’s declaration of the outbreak as a public health emergency of international concern was made on a Sunday, emphasizing the urgent need for global mobilization against this rare and dangerous strain of the virus. The organization noted that the Bundibugyo strain may have been circulating undetected in the region for several weeks, exacerbating the situation.
As of the latest reports from the WHO, Congo has documented eight confirmed cases, with 246 suspected infections and 80 suspected deaths in the Ituri province. In Uganda, two infections and one death have been reported among travelers returning from Congo. The CDC has not confirmed any exposure of Americans to the virus in Congo, indicating ongoing monitoring and investigation.
The CDC was alerted to the outbreak in Congo on May 14 and in Uganda on May 15. The agency plans to identify additional employees for deployment to these countries this week, augmenting the more than 30 personnel already present in each location. This surge in personnel is crucial for enhancing local response capabilities and ensuring effective containment measures.
In addition to these efforts, the CDC has issued two travel health notices advising Americans to exercise enhanced precautions when traveling to the affected regions. Local authorities in the impacted countries have implemented exit screening strategies at airports to monitor infections, while the U.S. is also enhancing measures to detect symptomatic individuals at ports of entry.
The designation of this outbreak as a public health emergency is primarily driven by concerns regarding cross-border transmission, unexplained clusters of deaths, and significant uncertainty regarding the outbreak’s scale. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus characterized the event as « extraordinary, » indicating the need for urgent international funding and response initiatives. This declaration marks the first of its kind since the mpox outbreak was labeled a global health emergency in 2024, underscoring the severity of the current situation.
In a parallel effort, the CDC is also addressing a hantavirus outbreak linked to a cruise ship, which has resulted in three fatalities. Currently, 41 individuals who were exposed to the virus are under observation. This multifaceted response by the CDC illustrates the agency’s commitment to safeguarding public health both domestically and internationally in the face of emerging infectious diseases.
In summary, the CDC is prioritizing its response to the Ebola outbreak in the DRC and Uganda, bolstering its presence and support in the region while ensuring that the risk to U.S. citizens remains minimal. The international community is being called upon to unite in combating this public health emergency, highlighting the ongoing challenges posed by emerging infectious diseases and the need for coordinated global health efforts.
