US humanitarian worker tests positive for Ebola in DRC as cases surge

US humanitarian worker tests positive for Ebola in DRC as cases surge
US humanitarian worker tests positive for Ebola in DRC as cases surge - Medical workers in protective suits transfer the body of an Ebola victim in Mongbwalu, Ituri province, eastern DRC, May 24, 2026. (Photo: Xinhua)
Medical workers in protective suits transfer the body of an Ebola victim in Mongbwalu, Ituri province, eastern DRC, May 24, 2026. (Photo: Xinhua)

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The CDC said its response is focused on preventing further transmission by identifying and monitoring high-risk contacts. It did not disclose the patient's identity or condition.

An American working with a humanitarian organisation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has tested positive for Bundibugyo Ebola virus, the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said on Friday.
In a statement, the CDC said it is working with the patient's employer, other US federal agencies, public health authorities and partners in the DRC to support contact tracing and conduct risk assessments to identify people who may have been exposed to the virus.
"CDC is aware of a US citizen working for a humanitarian organisation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) who has tested positive for Bundibugyo virus, a type of Ebola," the statement said.

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The agency said its response is focused on preventing further transmission by identifying and monitoring high-risk contacts. It did not disclose the patient's identity or condition.
The case comes as the DRC continues to battle an outbreak of Bundibugyo Ebola virus that has spread across parts of the country.
According to the country's health authorities, the outbreak has resulted in 1,792 confirmed cases and 625 deaths as of July 8, with 764 patients hospitalised in isolation and 295 people having recovered.

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The outbreak remains concentrated in the eastern provinces of  Ituri and North Kivu, with Ituri accounting for 1,631 confirmed cases and 535 deaths across 25 of its 36 health zones.
Health authorities are also investigating two suspected cases in Kisangani, in neighbouring Tshopo Province, although they have not yet been included in the official case count.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) says 78.6 per cent of identified contacts of confirmed cases in Ituri and North Kivu are under active monitoring as health officials intensify surveillance and contact tracing to curb further spread of the virus.
Weeks earlier, the US proposed establishing a temporary quarantine facility in Kenya for Americans exposed to Ebola in the DRC.
The facility, which was to be located at Laikipia Air Base, sparked public opposition and legal challenges before the High Court suspended the project.
Construction was later halted after Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale was found in contempt of court for allowing work to continue despite the court order.
Bundibugyo Ebola virus is one of the viruses that causes Ebola disease.
It is transmitted through direct contact with the bodily fluids of an infected person or contaminated materials, with experts stressing that early detection, isolation and contact tracing remain critical to containment.

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