The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) stated on the 18th that, given the ongoing Ebola outbreak in East and Central Africa, the United States is implementing enhanced traveler screening, entry restrictions, and other public health measures to prevent the importation of Ebola cases.
The CDC released a statement saying it is working with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and other federal agencies to implement relevant public health measures to reduce the risk of the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola virus spreading to the United States.
These measures include: strengthening public health screening and monitoring of travelers entering the U.S. from Ebola-affected regions; imposing entry restrictions on non-U.S. passport holders who have traveled to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, or South Sudan in the past 21 days; coordinating with airlines, international partners and port of entry officials to identify and manage travelers who may have been exposed to the Ebola virus; enhancing nationwide port health protection, close contact tracing, laboratory testing capabilities, and hospital preparedness; and continuing to dispatch CDC personnel to affected areas to support local disease control work. The above measures will be effective for 30 days.
The CDC also noted that on the 17th, one American who had been providing care for patients in the Democratic Republic of the Congo was diagnosed with the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus. The agency is working with the U.S. State Department to transfer the patient and their high-risk contacts to Germany for treatment. At present, the risk to the U.S. public is low. The CDC will continue to assess the development of the outbreak and adjust public health measures as needed based on the latest circumstances.