A person from the United States has tested positive for Ebola in connection with the deadly outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Monday.
The person was exposed as part of their work in Congo, developed symptoms over the weekend and tested positive late Sunday, according to Dr. Satish Pillai, the CDC’s Ebola response incident manager.
“CDC has been working hand in hand with the Department of State to move the American for treatment and care to Germany and other high-risk contacts to Germany for monitoring,” Pillai said Monday in a media briefing.
In addition to the one symptomatic American, six others are being moved for treatment or observation.
A Christian missionary organization called Serge said Monday in a statement on its website that one of its medical missionaries had tested positive for the Bundibugyo Ebola virus. The group said the doctor was exposed while treating patients at Nyankunde Hospital in Congo.
The doctor’s wife, who is also a doctor, along with their four young children and another doctor colleague are all being monitored and brought to a location where they can receive specialized medical care, Serge said.
The group did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The CDC said Monday that the U.S. is restricting entry for non-U.S. passport holders who have been in Uganda, Congo or South Sudan in the past 21 days.
“To the American public: The risk to the United States remains low. Travelers to the region should avoid contact with sick people, report symptoms immediately and follow our travel guidance,” Pillai said.
The World Health Organization over the weekend declared the outbreak a public health emergency of international concern. Nearly 400 suspected cases and at least 105 suspected deaths have been reported in Congo, according to the World Health Organization. Uganda has two confirmed cases, including one death, among people who traveled from Congo.
The Bundibugyo virus involved in the outbreak leads to a rare type of Ebola for which there is no approved vaccine or treatment. There have been only a couple of previous Bundibugyo outbreaks — one in Uganda in 2007 and one in Congo in 2012. The fatality rate during those outbreaks ranged from 30% to 50%, according to the WHO.
Pillai said the CDC and the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response are “looking at monoclonal therapies,” which use antibodies to neutralize the virus. The therapies have shown some potential to prevent or treat Ebola caused by the Bundibugyo virus in rhesus monkeys
The disease usually starts with symptoms like fever, fatigue, muscle pain, headache and sore throat, then progresses to gastrointestinal symptoms like diarrhea, vomiting and stomach pain, with bleeding or bruising in some cases, as well. It spreads through direct contact with bodily fluids (such as blood, vomit or feces) or surfaces contaminated with those fluids.
