CDC aiding withdrawal of affected Americans after Ebola outbreak in Congo, Uganda

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said on Sunday it has mobilized response efforts following an Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda, while also supporting partner agencies in the withdrawal of a small number of Americans directly affected by the situation.

The outbreak comes as the World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the Ebola flare-up a public health emergency of international concern after reporting 80 suspected deaths, underscoring growing concern over the spread of the virus in parts of Central and East Africa.

“CDC is also supporting interagency partners who are actively coordinating the safe withdrawal of a small number of Americans who are directly affected by this outbreak,” the agency said in a statement on Sunday.

Officials from the CDC said the agency has activated its emergency response center in response to the outbreak and is preparing to deploy additional personnel to its offices in the DRC and Uganda to support local containment and monitoring efforts.

U.S.-based health and medical news outlet STAT News reported on Sunday that several Americans currently in the DRC are believed to have been exposed to suspected Ebola cases during the latest outbreak. According to the report, some of the individuals are considered to have had high-risk exposures, including at least one person who may have developed symptoms. The report added that there are no confirmed test results yet for the individuals, but U.S. authorities are reportedly working to arrange their evacuation to a location where they can be safely quarantined and treated if infection is confirmed.

CDC Ebola response incident manager Satish Pillai declined to confirm whether any Americans had been infected but emphasized that the overall risk to the United States remains low.

Reuters could not immediately verify the STAT News report. The CDC also did not immediately respond to a request for comment regarding the specific claims contained in the report at the time of publication. -Reporting by Rishabh Jaiswal in BengaluruEditing by Nick Zieminski/Reuters