U.S. Citizen in Congo Diagnosed with Ebola
KINSHASA, Democratic Republic of the Congo — A U.S. national affiliated with a humanitarian organization has tested positive for the Ebola virus, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This news comes as the central African nation grapples with a surging outbreak.
The CDC has indicated that they are collaborating with the individual’s employer, various U.S. agencies, public health officials, and local partners to mitigate further spread and pinpoint close contacts. However, additional specifics were not disclosed.
The patient was admitted to Frankfurt University Hospital early Monday. Hospital officials noted that the individual arrived at the isolation unit around 3 a.m. local time after contracting the Bundibugyo variant of the Ebola virus in Congo.
Last week, the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that this particular outbreak has become the fastest-growing Ebola outbreak recorded in Africa, reporting 1,830 confirmed cases in Congo, which include 648 fatalities. Confirmed cases have also appeared in neighboring Uganda.
During the outbreak’s initial week, an American doctor in Congo also tested positive for the virus and was subsequently transported to Germany for treatment.
Initially, officials from the Trump administration planned to transfer Americans exposed to Ebola overseas to a new facility in Kenya rather than return them to the U.S. However, this initiative has been halted following a ruling from a Kenyan court.
The Congolese authorities declared a new Ebola outbreak on May 15, recognizing that the virus had been transmitting for weeks without detection, according to the World Health Organization.
This outbreak is linked to the rare Bundibugyo virus, which currently has no approved vaccine or treatment.
Efforts to contain the virus have faced challenges due to a lack of funding, assaults on health facilities, and ongoing conflicts in eastern Congo, where the outbreak is most severe.
Earlier this month, clinical trials for potential treatments began after researchers initiated a long-awaited study aimed at combating the virus.
