Washington, May 19: The Trump administration has announced new travel restrictions and emergency measures after confirming a strain of Ebola in an American citizen in Africa. Officials clarified that there are currently no cases within the United States.
This announcement was made during an event at the White House, where President Donald Trump was asked if Americans should be concerned about the outbreak. Trump stated, “I am concerned about everything. It is currently limited to Africa, but it is a type of spread.”
Following this, Trump invited senior health official Dr. Heidi Overton to provide details about the government’s response. Overton revealed that the U.S. has initiated a comprehensive inter-agency response involving the State Department, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the Department of Defense.
She explained, “An American citizen has shown symptoms and tested positive for the Bundibugyo virus, which is a type of Ebola.” The infected citizen and six other high-risk contacts will be evacuated from the region and treated at a specialized virus treatment center in Germany.
The administration also announced an immediate ban on the entry of non-U.S. citizens who have recently traveled to Uganda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Congo, and South Sudan. Overton stated, “We have implemented entry restrictions today for non-citizens who have been in this region in the last 21 days.”
Travel warnings have already been issued for Americans in the area, and officials are taking serious measures to prevent the virus from spreading to the U.S. Overton emphasized that there are currently no Ebola cases in America, and they aim to keep it that way.
The Bundibugyo strain is one of several known types of the Ebola virus and can cause severe hemorrhagic fever in humans. Symptoms often include fever, vomiting, diarrhea, and internal bleeding. The virus spreads through direct contact with the bodily fluids of infected individuals.
The White House’s comments came at a time when the CDC held a separate press briefing on the ongoing outbreak in Africa and prevention efforts. U.S. officials did not disclose the exact location of the infected citizen but confirmed that the case is still linked to the outbreak area.
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