WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The United States (US) announced Monday it is bolstering precautions to prevent the spread of Ebola, including screening air travellers from outbreak-hit areas and temporarily suspending visa services from the region.
The public health measures announced by the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention come as the World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo an international health emergency.
More than 90 deaths are suspected to have been caused by the current outbreak.
“At this time, CDC assesses the immediate risk to the general US public as low, but we will continue to evaluate the evolving situation and may adjust public health measures as additional information becomes available,” the health agency said in a statement.
In addition to screening at airports, the CDC said it was implementing entry restrictions on non-US passport holders if they had travelled to Uganda, DRC, or South Sudan within the past 21 days.
The US embassy in Kampala, meanwhile, said it had temporarily paused all visa services, and that impacted applicants had been notified.
The CDC said over the weekend it was working to coordinate “the safe withdrawal of a small number of Americans who are directly affected by this outbreak”.
There is no vaccine or specific treatment for the strain responsible for the current spread of the highly contagious haemorrhagic fever.
Ninety-one reported deaths are suspected to have been caused by the current surge in cases, according to the latest figures released on Sunday by Congolese Health Minister Samuel-Roger Kamba.
Around 350 suspected cases have been reported. Most of those affected are aged between 20 and 39, and more than 60 per cent are women.
The US under President Donald Trump formally withdrew from the WHO this year.
CDC officials have emphasised they are collaborating with international partners as well as health officials in impacted countries.
The public health measures announced Monday will include continued “deployment of CDC personnel to support outbreak containment efforts in affected regions” as well as assistance with contract tracing and laboratory testing, the agency said.