CDC to escalate Ebola response after WHO declares emergency

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Source: msn/Bloomberg

10h


(Bloomberg) -- The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is escalating its response to the ongoing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda, after the World Health Organization labeled the outbreak a public health emergency.

The agency plans to deploy additional staff to the affected countries and will provide technical support including laboratory testing, contact tracing and surveillance through its country offices, said Satish Pillai, the CDC’s Ebola response incident manager, on a call with reporters Sunday. It has also activated its emergency response center.

“The risk to the United States remains low,” Pillai said. The outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo ebolavirus strain and has no approved vaccine or treatment. Infected people can transmit Ebola when they are symptomatic, he added.

The actions come after the WHO declared the Ebola outbreak a public health emergency of international concern on Sunday — stopping short of a “pandemic emergency” declaration — as it looks to mobilize support against the rare strain of the virus. The WHO said the strain has likely been spreading undetected in the region for weeks.

Read more: https://www.msn.com/en-us/public-safety-and-emergencies/health-and-safety-alerts/cdc-to-escalate-ebola-response-after-who-declares-emergency/ar-AA23qgBR