U.S. announces some airport screening for Ebola, one American infected

This undated colourized transmission electron micrograph file image made available by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows an Ebola virus virion. (Frederick Murphy/CDC via AP, File)

The United States 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.

The public health measures announced by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) come as the World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the deadly Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo an international health emergency.

In a briefing, Satish Pillai, the health agency’s Ebola response incident manager, told journalists one American had contracted the virus following exposure related “to their work in the Democratic Republic of Congo.”

“The person developed symptoms over the weekend and tested positive late Sunday,” Pillai said, adding that efforts were underway to transport the individual to Germany for treatment.

The official added the U.S. was attempting to evacuate six additional people for health monitoring.

Pillai said there are approximately 25 people working in the U.S. field office in DRC, and that the CDC was fulfilling a request to send an additional senior technical co-ordinator.

“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 health agency said in a statement.

In addition to screening at airports, the CDC said it was implementing entry restrictions on non-U.S. passport holders if they had traveled to Uganda, DRC or South Sudan within the past 21 days.

The U.S. embassy in Kampala said it had temporarily paused all visa services, and that impacted applicants had been notified.

There is no vaccine or specific treatment for the strain responsible for the current spread of the highly contagious hemorrhagic 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 U.S. under President Donald Trump formally withdrew from the WHO this year.

In recent days U.S. officials have avoided questions about how the administration’s cutting of the U.S. Agency for International Development -- which was key in responding to previous Ebola outbreaks -- has impacted current efforts to monitor and manage the virus’s spread.

CDC officials have emphasized they are collaborating with international partners and 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 contact tracing and laboratory testing, the agency said.