Ebola outbreak prompts U.S. to screen travelers at airports, other ports of entry

The CDC announced Monday that it is enhancing public health screening and traveler monitoring amid a growing Ebola outbreak, with non-U.S. passport holders facing entry restrictions if they have been to Uganda, the Democratic Republic of Congo, or South Sudan in the previous 21 days.

“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 posted on its website.

This Title 42 order allows for the banning of non-U.S. passport holders who have traveled from those countries for up to 30 days.

The United States is also coordinating with airlines, international partners, and port-of-entry officials to identify and manage travelers who may have been exposed to Ebola virus.

The announcement comes as the World Health Organization has declared the outbreak to be a public health emergency after more than 300 suspected cases and 88 deaths. While the U.S. withdrew from the WHO officially this year, officials with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have said they have been working with international partners and the ministries of health in the affected countries. The agency also said it has been supporting response efforts through CDC country offices in Congo and Uganda to help with contact tracing, border screening, personal protective equipment, and disease monitoring.

Health authorities have said they are particularly concerned about this outbreak because it was discovered after dozens of people became ill. This strain of Ebola, the Bundibugyo virus, does not have a vaccine and treatment consists of supportive care, according to the CDC. This strain has death rates of 25% to 50%.

The CDC said patients in this recent outbreak have experienced typical Ebola symptoms: fever, headache, vomiting, severe weakness, abdominal pain, nosebleeds, and vomiting blood.

Symptoms may begin within two to 21 days after contact; the average is eight to 10 days.

In Congo, the majority of cases so far have been in patients ages 20 to 39, with two-thirds of them among female patients, according to the WHO. WHO officials have said they are concerned about spread among household contacts and caregivers.

The CDC also said it is working on interagency efforts to extract Americans in the affected areas.

A handful of Americans may also be exposed, the Washington Post reported Sunday. At least one individual with symptoms may need to be medically evacuated, according to two individuals familiar with the Trump administration’s Ebola response who spoke on the condition of anonymity to share internal discussions.

The Americans, including a family with children, have been working for a nonprofit in the outbreak area in Congo’s eastern region.

The National Quarantine Unit in Nebraska has not received a request for Ebola patients, said spokesperson Taylor Wilson, noting it has 20 beds and 18 are currently full.

While there isn’t another federally funded quarantine unit in the U.S., there are 13 regional emerging special pathogen treatment center locations nationwide.