an American missionary has Ebola; US bans travel from affected area | Today’s news
An American missionary has tested positive for the Ebola virus after being exposed in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Monday.
Satish Pillai, incident manager for the CDC’s Ebola response, said during a call with reporters that the missionary was showing symptoms and had been sent to Germany for treatment. The CDC is also working to relocate six other Americans who may have been exposed to Germany.
Christian missionary organization Serge Global said on its website Monday that doctor Peter Stafford was exposed to Ebola while treating patients at Nyankunde Hospital in Congo. Two other doctors with his group — including his wife — remain asymptomatic.
Earlier on Monday, the United States banned entry into the country to people who are not citizens of the Democratic Republic of Congo, South Sudan or Uganda within the previous three weeks, as part of an effort to protect against the deadly Ebola epidemic in Africa.
The policy issued by the CDC using federal public health laws will be in effect for the next 30 days. It includes “enhanced travel screening, entry restrictions and public health measures” to prevent the virus from entering the US, according to an update posted on the agency’s website. The US also suspended all visa services in Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo on Monday.
The World Health Organization on Sunday declared the outbreak a public health emergency of international concern, citing its spread across borders, unexplained deaths, infections of health workers and uncertainty about the true extent of the outbreak. Many countries are already monitoring dozens of passengers and their contacts from the Hondius cruise ship, where the hantavirus outbreak has infected at least 10 people and killed three.
There are currently 25 CDC staff in the DRC.
The Ebola outbreak could have gone undetected for weeks, which is a serious problem because it means it will be harder to trace and isolate people at risk and stop the spread of the virus. About 350 suspected cases and 91 deaths have been reported in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the country’s health minister, Roger Kamba, said on Sunday. Neighboring Uganda has confirmed two infections, including one death.
Genetic tests determined that the infections came from a rare strain of Bundibugyo, one of the four types that cause Ebola in humans. There is no vaccine against it and treatment consists of supportive care. Up to 50% of those infected will die from it.
The risk to the American public remains low, the CDC said.
With help from Naomi Kresge and Jason Gale.
This article was generated from an automated news agency source without text modification.
