Ebola Outbreak in Congo Claims Over 100 Lives, 390 Suspected Cases

Congo. At least 100 people have died due to the Ebola outbreak in the African country of the Democratic Republic of Congo, and more than 390 people are suspected of being infected. 

According to information given to the BBC by Jean Kaseya, head of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), there is no approved medicine or vaccine available for the strain of Ebola currently spreading. 

Kaseya has urged the general public to fully adhere to public health standards in social activities such as the funerals of Ebola victims to control the epidemic.

Similarly, the World Health Organization (WHO) has declared this Ebola outbreak, caused by the Bundibugyo virus, an international emergency. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has stated that two people have been confirmed infected and one has died in Congo's neighboring country, Uganda. 

An American doctor working in Congo has also been confirmed to be infected with the Ebola virus. According to the medical missionary group he is affiliated with and the CDC, preparations are underway to take the unidentified doctor to Germany for further treatment. 

CBS News, citing sources, has reported that at least six American citizens have come into contact with the Ebola virus during the ongoing outbreak in Congo. Although the US CDC has stated that it is helping to safely repatriate a small number of American citizens directly affected by the outbreak, the exact number has not been disclosed. 

According to the health news portal 'Stat', the US government is arranging to transport its citizens in Congo to safe quarantine sites. Although there is a strong possibility that the team of Americans to be rescued from Congo may be housed in a US military camp in Germany, this has not been officially confirmed. 

At a press conference held on Sunday, the CDC refused to answer direct questions about the affected American citizens. In a new update released on Monday, the CDC mentioned that the risk of this virus in America is relatively low, but announced that it will implement various strict measures to prevent potential infections from entering the country. 

Under the new rules, travelers arriving from affected areas will be specially monitored, and non-US passport holders who have visited Uganda, DR Congo, or South Sudan within the past 21 days will be banned from entry. 

The CDC has stated that it will work with airlines and other partners to conduct contact tracing of suspected travelers, increase testing capacity, and keep hospitals prepared. Meanwhile, the US government has issued its strictest 'Level Four' travel advisory for Congo, warning its citizens not to travel to Congo visit.