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

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Sunday it mobilized response efforts following an Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda, supporting partners withdrawing a small number of directly affected Americans.

The World Health Organization has declared the Ebola outbreak a public health emergency of international concern after 80 suspected deaths.

"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 CDC said in a statement.

U.S.-based health and medical news outlet STAT News reported on Sunday that a number of Americans currently in the DRC are believed to have been exposed to suspected cases in the country’s latest Ebola outbreak, with several deemed to have had high-risk exposures, including one that may have developed symptoms.

There are no test results yet for the individuals but the U.S. government is reportedly trying to arrange their transfer out of the DRC to a location where they can be safely quarantined and treated if infected, according to the STAT report.

Reuters could not immediately verify the report. The CDC did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment on the STAT report.

Officials from the CDC told reporters on Sunday the agency has activated its emergency response center for the outbreak and plans to send more people to its offices in the DRC and Uganda.

Satish Pillai, CDC Ebola response incident manager, declined to say whether any Americans were among those who had been infected by Ebola but stressed that the risk to the U.S. remains low.

-Rishabh Jaiswal in BengaluruEditing by Nick Zieminski/Reuters