WASHINGTON — A U.S. citizen working for a humanitarian organization in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has tested positive for the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said on Friday, as health authorities continue efforts to contain a growing outbreak in central Africa.
The CDC said it is coordinating with the individual's employer, other U.S. federal agencies and partners in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) to prevent further transmission of the virus and identify people who may have had high-risk contact with the patient. The agency did not disclose the patient's identity or provide additional details, citing privacy considerations.
The infection comes as the DRC battles one of its largest recorded Ebola outbreaks. Government figures released late Friday showed 1,830 confirmed cases, including 648 deaths. The outbreak, first declared in May, has primarily affected the eastern provinces of Ituri, North Kivu and South Kivu, while suspected cases have also emerged in Tshopo province.
The current outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus, a less common species for which there is no licensed vaccine. Health officials have relied on supportive treatment, surveillance, contact tracing and infection-control measures while researchers evaluate experimental therapies.
The CDC said there have been no confirmed Ebola cases in the United States linked to the current outbreak and maintained that the overall risk to the American public and travelers remains low. U.S. authorities have previously implemented enhanced public health measures and travel screening for travelers arriving from affected countries in East and Central Africa.
The World Health Organization warned this week that the outbreak is likely larger than official figures indicate because many infections remain undetected. The agency said community transmission continues in heavily affected areas, with many new patients having no known epidemiological link to previously identified cases, complicating efforts to interrupt chains of transmission.
The CDC said it will continue working with Congolese authorities and international partners to monitor the situation, identify contacts of the infected U.S. citizen and support measures aimed at limiting further spread of the virus.
