A U.S. citizen doing humanitarian work in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has tested positive for Ebola, marking the second American to be infected amid the explosive Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and the second to be sent for medical care in Germany instead of the United States.
The Ebola outbreak, which was first declared on May 15It is already the third largest on record and continues to grow. As of July 12, the The Democratic Republic of the Congo has reported 1,926 cases and 702 deaths in the outbreak, caused by the lesser-known Bundibugyo strain of Ebolavirus.
Under the Trump administration, the United States has taken a seemingly isolationist approach, implementing strict and controversial travel restrictions and blocking the repatriation of citizens exposed to or infected with the virus. This is despite the United States having multiple facilities across the country designed to safely monitor and provide high-quality care to Ebola patients in these types of situations.
The United States is also largely distant from responses to the outbreak. Upon taking office, Trump decided to withdraw from the World Health Organization, which is helping coordinate international efforts to stop the spread of the virus, although it is still overwhelming health workers.
On Monday, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the WHO had provided clinical care to infected Americans before the patient was transferred to Germany for follow-up care.
infected Americans
While he said these types of infections among aid workers are not unexpected, Tedros called for more help to curb the virus. “As the outbreak grows, an accelerated response from local, national and international partners is urgently needed,” he said on social media on Monday. “WHO is working intensively under the leadership of the government and with the Africa CDC to control the outbreak as quickly as possible.”
