U.S. CDC issues travel advisory over Ebola outbreaks in DRC and Uganda

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on May 21 published a Health Alert Network notice tied to Ebola outbreaks in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda, telling clinicians, public health departments and travelers to watch for exposure risks. The notice said CDC had already issued a Level 1 Travel Health Notice for Uganda and a Level 3 Travel Health Notice for the DRC on May 15. The agency said the risk of Ebola spread to the United States remains low and that, as of May 18, no suspected, probable or confirmed U.S. cases linked to the outbreak had been reported. ### What exactly did CDC issue, and when? CDC’s May 21 Health Alert Network notice was aimed at U.S. public health officials and healthcare providers as well as people traveling to or from the affected countries. The advisory said the outbreaks involve Bundibugyo virus disease, a type of Ebola disease, in the DRC and Uganda. On May 15, CDC issued separate travel health notices for the two countries. (cdc.gov) Uganda was placed at Level 1, which CDC describes as “Practice Usual Precautions,” while the DRC was placed under a higher-level notice because of the outbreak there. CDC’s traveler pages list Uganda at Level 1 and the DRC outbreak notice as updated on May 18. ### Why are both countries included in the advisory? (cdc.gov) WHO said on May 17 that the outbreak in Uganda was linked to cross-border travel from the DRC. The agency reported two laboratory-confirmed cases in Kampala, including one death, in travelers arriving from the DRC on May 15 and May 16. (cdc.gov) CDC said the DRC outbreak was occurring in Ituri and North Kivu provinces and that Uganda’s cases were connected to travel from the DRC. WHO Africa described the event as the DRC’s 17th Ebola outbreak since 1976 and said international coordination had been activated after the emergency declaration. ### How serious do U.S. and global health officials say the risk is? (who.int) CDC said in its current situation update that the risk of Ebola spread to the United States remains low. The agency also said federal authorities, including the Department of Homeland Security, began proactive public health measures on May 18 to help prevent Ebola from entering the country. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on May 16 the outbreak met the threshold for a public health emergency of international concern, or PHEIC, under the International Health Regulations. (cdc.gov) WHO’s emergency determination cited transmission in the DRC and imported cases in Uganda. ### What are travelers and clinicians being told to do? (cdc.gov) CDC said travelers should avoid contact with sick people, bodily fluids, contaminated materials, and bushmeat, and should monitor themselves for symptoms after travel from affected areas. The agency’s notice also told clinicians to ask patients with compatible symptoms about recent travel to the DRC or Uganda and to isolate and report suspected cases immediately. (who.int) The State Department’s country pages for both destinations now reference the Ebola situation. The DRC advisory says WHO declared the DRC-Uganda outbreak a public health emergency of international concern on May 17, while the Uganda advisory directs travelers to review the latest destination-specific guidance. (cdc.gov) ### What numbers are officials reporting right now? CDC said that, as of May 19, health ministries in the DRC and Uganda had reported 536 suspected cases, 105 probable cases, 34 confirmed cases and 134 suspected deaths tied to the outbreak. The agency said those figures included two confirmed cases in Uganda, one of them fatal, and warned that the numbers were changing rapidly. (travel.state.gov) CDC and WHO both said the situation was evolving as of May 20 and May 21, with additional surveillance, screening and response measures underway in the region. CDC’s Health Alert Network notice remains posted online, and WHO’s outbreak and emergency pages are the main public sources for the next official updates. (cdc.gov 1) (cdc.gov 2)