Federal health officials imposed new travel restrictions and enhanced screening measures as Ebola cases spread across parts of Central Africa and international concern intensifies.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
The United States announced new travel restrictions Sunday aimed at preventing the spread of Ebola into the country as a growing outbreak linked to the Bundibugyo strain continues expanding across Central Africa.
Under a new public health order issued May 18, non-U.S. citizens who have recently traveled to affected regions in Uganda, Democratic Republic of the Congo, or South Sudan within the previous 21 days will be barred from entering the United States.
The order was signed by acting Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Jay Bhattacharya.
According to the CDC, the restrictions are necessary because of “the serious risk posed by the introduction of Ebola disease into the United States by covered aliens based on the emergent outbreak of Ebola disease caused by the Bundibugyo virus strain.”
Federal health officials also announced expanded screening and monitoring procedures for travelers arriving from outbreak regions.
The enhanced public health measures will include symptom screening, fever checks, and evaluations of possible exposure history for individuals entering the country from affected areas.
“At this time, CDC assesses the immediate risk to the general U.S. public as low, but we will continue to evaluate the evolving situation and may adjust public health measures as additional information becomes available,” the agency said in a statement.
African health authorities first confirmed the outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo on May 15.
Officials reported approximately 80 confirmed and suspected deaths along with hundreds of suspected and confirmed infections tied to the outbreak.
The virus has since spread into Uganda, while neighboring South Sudan remains on alert because of its proximity to the outbreak zone centered in Congo’s Ituri province.
The World Health Organization has declared the situation a public health emergency of international concern, citing uncertainty surrounding the true number of infections and the geographic spread of the outbreak.
The WHO said there are “significant uncertainties to the true number of infected persons and geographic spread associated with this event at the present time.”
The CDC confirmed that an unspecified number of Americans remain in the outbreak region and said efforts are underway to safely withdraw them from affected areas.
Officials have not publicly confirmed whether any Americans have contracted the virus.
The outbreak involves the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, a less common but highly dangerous variant of the disease for which there is currently no approved vaccine or specific treatment.
Ebola is a severe viral hemorrhagic disease caused by orthoebolaviruses and is associated with high mortality rates during major outbreaks.
Over the weekend, the CDC issued additional travel guidance advising Americans not to travel to Ituri province, the current center of the outbreak, and urging caution for travel elsewhere in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
The latest restrictions mark one of the most significant U.S. border-related public health responses since the emergence of the outbreak and come as global health officials race to contain further regional and international spread.
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