Ebola

The Hill -  The rare strain of the virus has caused nearly 1,000 suspected cases and more than 220 suspected deaths in Congo, and seven cases with one death in neighboring Uganda.  The outbreak is already the third largest in history, and the World Health Organization has declared it a public health emergency of international concern. There are currently no approved vaccines or treatments. 

The aid group International Rescue Committee (IRC) warned that the outbreak could become the deadliest on record without urgent international action.  “Increased conflict and cuts to global aid funding have dismantled defenses at exactly the wrong moment. The lesson from every previous outbreak is clear: delays cost lives,” said Bob Kitchen, vice president of emergencies for the IRC, said in a statement.  

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has said the risk of Ebola spreading to the American public remains low.  Still, the Trump administration has cracked down on international travelers and is taking steps to ensure Americans infected or exposed to the virus remain overseas. 

An administration official on Wednesday said the White House plans to send Americans exposed to Ebola to a quarantine and treatment facility being constructed in Kenya.