U.S. CDC monitoring Ebola outbreak in Africa

Robert Besser
03 Mar 2021, 02:17 GMT+10

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is monitoring outbreaks of the Ebola virus in Africa's Democratic Republic of Congo and Guinea
The CDC also issued a statement on Friday saying the risk of the Ebola virus being found in the United States remains extremely low.
"Out of an abundance of caution, the U.S. government will institute public health measures for the very small number of travelers arriving from the DRC and Guinea," the CDC said.

WASHINGTON DC: Even as the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is monitoring outbreaks of the Ebola virus in Africa's Democratic Republic of Congo and Guinea, it has issued a statement saying the risk of the virus being found in the United States remains extremely low.

"Out of an abundance of caution, the U.S. government will institute public health measures for the very small number of travelers arriving from the DRC and Guinea," the CDC said Friday.

"The Biden Administration is committed to working closely with the affected countries to end these outbreaks before they grow into epidemics," the CDC added.

Meanwhile, the World Health Organization said Guinea has begun an Ebola vaccination campaign, as authorities act to quickly contain this first outbreak of Ebola since 2013-2016.

Those contracting the deadly virus face severe bleeding and organ failure, which is transmitted through contact with body fluids.

African governments are particularly concerned that their healthcare systems, now struggling with the Coronavirus, could be easily overwhelmed by Ebola patients.

Beginning next week, travelers from the Congo and Guinea will be required to enter the United States through six designated airports, where they will be screened for Ebola.

Any passengers who have been in infected countries will be required to provide health and contact information.