Five US airports screening travelers from Uganda in response to Ebola outbreak
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The U.S. has begun screening travelers from Uganda in response to the ongoing Ebola outbreak.
On Sept. 20, the Uganda Ministry of Health announced the first positive case of Ebola virus disease caused by Sudan ebolavirus. Since then, 80 cases — 60 confirmed and 20 probable — and 44 deaths have been reported, with several of these deaths being reported among health care workers, WHO reported during a press briefing.
According to the CDC, approximately 140 people enter the U.S. from Uganda daily, and although no confirmed cases of Ebola related to this outbreak have been reported in the U.S., the CDC has implemented entry screening for U.S.-bound travelers coming from Uganda.
CDC specified that health screenings will take place at five domestic airports — Chicago O’Hare, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta, John F. Kennedy (NY), Newark Liberty and Washington Dulles — for all travelers who have visited Uganda within the last 21 days. The CDC said this is a “standard public health practice” on par with patient isolation and contact tracing.
To further support the response to the outbreak, CDC has deployed 27 staff in Uganda, including field epidemiologists, laboratory technicians, ecologists, infection prevention and control scientists, a management and operations specialist, and a health communication specialist as of Oct. 12. It also plans to share guidance on establishing a rapid response unit and will train local teams to perform contact tracing and follow-up.
Additionally, officials are assessing Sudan ebolavirus vaccine candidates. To date, there are at least six candidates — three of which have phase 1 data available, whereas the rest remain in the preclinical evaluation phase.
The CDC is coordinating closely with WHO and the Ugandan government on the possible deployment of an investigational vaccine developed by scientists at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and licensed to the Sabin Vaccine Institute. According to the CDC, the U.S. has a small number of doses of the Sabin vaccine available for deployment and is working to expediate an additional 7,000 to 9,000 doses.
While vaccines are being assessed, WHO is working to address concerns over additional chains of transmission and the potential of more contacts than previously identified in affected communities.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, PhD, MSc, explained at Wednesday’s briefing that the most recently reported eight cases are under investigation because initial reports indicate they were not among known contacts of other cases. Additionally, two of the confirmed cases from the Mubende district sought care in the capital city of Kampala, which also increases the risks of transmission in that city.
“I’m pleased to see that the government has recognized that risk,” Tedros said. “WHO and its partners will continue working with the Government of Uganda to contain the outbreak and prevent it from spreading in more regions and countries.”
References:
- The US response to Ebola outbreaks in Uganda. https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2022/s1018-ebola-outbreaks-uganda.html. Published Oct. 18, 2022. Assessed Oct. 19, 2022.
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