WHO upgrades Congo Ebola risk

The World Health Organization raised its national risk assessment for the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo to “very high” on May 22, saying the disease was spreading into new areas. The agency said the regional risk remained “high” and the global risk “low.” U.S. authorities, citing the same outbreak, have already imposed public-health travel restrictions and enhanced screening for some travelers arriving from affected countries. The moves came as health officials reported hundreds of suspected cases and said the situation was changing quickly. ### Why did WHO raise the risk now? WHO said on May 22 that the outbreak’s spread across parts of central and eastern Congo drove the higher assessment. CDC’s outbreak summary, updated the same day, said a new confirmed case had been identified in Sud-Kivu province after earlier confirmed cases in Ituri and Nord-Kivu only. That expansion into another province was one of the clearest signs the event was no longer confined to the initial outbreak area. (news.un.org) Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the WHO director-general, said the outbreak was “spreading rapidly,” according to reports that cited his remarks on Friday. WHO has also said the epidemic is caused by the Bundibugyo virus species, a form of Ebola for which officials have said there is no approved vaccine. ### How large is the outbreak? (cdc.gov) CDC said on May 22 that health ministries in Congo and Uganda had reported 744 suspected cases, 83 confirmed cases and 176 suspected deaths. WHO and U.N. reporting described the likely scale as larger than the confirmed tally alone, with nearly 750 suspected cases and 177 suspected deaths cited in public updates on Friday. Both agencies said the figures were subject to change. (cbsnews.com) Uganda has also reported two confirmed cases, including one death, in people who traveled from Congo, according to the CDC update. The agency said no further spread had been reported there. ### What is the United States doing at the border? The CDC said on May 18, together with the Department of Homeland Security and other federal agencies, it announced enhanced travel screening, entry restrictions and other public-health measures to prevent Ebola disease from entering the United States. (cdc.gov) The CDC statement, published May 22, said the order would remain in effect for 30 days and applied to covered non-U.S. travelers who had recently been in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda or South Sudan. The U.S. State Department’s worldwide caution, updated May 22, said American citizens and lawful permanent residents who had been in those three countries within 21 days of arrival must enter through designated airports for enhanced screening. Washington Dulles applied to flights after 11:59 p.m. on May 21, Atlanta after 11:59 p.m. on May 22, and Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport is next for flights departing after 11:59 p.m. on May 26. (cdc.gov) ### Why was Zambia part of the alert? The U.S. Embassy in Zambia issued a health alert on May 21 because travelers transiting the region could face rerouting, arrival restrictions and added screening before entering the United States. The embassy told travelers to confirm flights and routes with airlines, reflecting the practical effect of the U.S. measures beyond the outbreak countries themselves. (travel.state.gov) ### What happens next? May 26 is the next dated milestone in the U.S. response, when Houston joins the designated-airport screening system for covered travelers, according to the State Department notice. WHO and CDC have both said the outbreak data are evolving rapidly, and CDC’s public situation page is carrying the latest case totals and province-level updates. (travel.state.gov) (zm.usembassy.gov)