US humanitarian worker tests positive for Ebola in Congo outbreak

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed that an American citizen employed by a humanitarian organization has tested positive for the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). This is the second U.S. case; the first was a missionary doctor who was evacuated to Germany and later recovered. The outbreak, declared on 15 May, is the fastest‑growing Ebola epidemic ever recorded in Africa, with health authorities reporting about 1,830 confirmed infections and 648 deaths in the DRC, and additional cases in neighboring Uganda. Recent reports indicate the virus has spread to two more northeastern provinces, Haut‑Uele and Tshopo. The CDC is cooperating with the worker’s employer, U.S. agencies and Congolese health officials to trace contacts, assess risk and prevent further transmission. No licensed vaccine or specific treatment exists for the Bundibugyo variant, and the risk of spread to the United States remains low. Earlier plans for a U.S. quarantine facility in Kenya were halted by Kenyan courts. International partners, including the Africa CDC and WHO, are supporting response efforts amid security challenges and limited health‑care capacity in the conflict‑affected eastern DRC.