US Tightens Ebola Controls, Restricts Travel After New Outbreak Surge in DR Congo

The United States has announced new precautionary measures to prevent the spread of Ebola, including enhanced airport screening for travelers from affected regions and temporary suspension of visa services in some locations.

The move follows the World Health Organization’s declaration of the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) as an international public health emergency.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the measures include entry restrictions for non-US passport holders who have recently travelled to the DRC, Uganda, or South Sudan within the past 21 days.

A CDC official, Satish Pillai, who serves as Ebola response incident manager, confirmed that one American working in the DRC has tested positive for the virus after occupational exposure.

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

He also disclosed that six additional individuals were being evacuated for monitoring.

The CDC noted that about 25 personnel are currently deployed in its DRC field office, while additional experts are being sent to support containment efforts.

Despite the escalation, the agency said the immediate risk to the U.S. public remains low but warned that the situation is being closely monitored.

In addition to travel screening, the U.S. Embassy in Kampala, Uganda, has temporarily suspended visa services, with affected applicants already notified.

The outbreak has reportedly led to about 91 suspected deaths and over 350 suspected cases, with most infections occurring among adults aged 20 to 39 and a higher proportion affecting women.

The virus strain involved has no approved vaccine or specific treatment, raising global concern as health authorities struggle to contain its spread.

Meanwhile, the U.S. State Department announced $13 million in emergency aid to support response operations, including contact tracing and laboratory testing.

However, critics have questioned the effectiveness of Washington’s response. Matthew Kavanagh, a global health policy expert at Georgetown University, described the measures as “more theater than effective public health intervention,” arguing that earlier coordinated global action would have been more effective.

The outbreak comes amid broader concerns about reduced international coordination following the U.S. withdrawal from the World Health Organization earlier this year.

Health agencies say further deployment of CDC personnel is expected as efforts intensify to contain the outbreak across affected regions.