The United States of America is planning to send its public health officers to Kenya to support a possible Ebola quarantine facility that would handle Americans exposed to the virus as concerns grow over the outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
According to a report by The Wall Street Journal, the proposed facility is still awaiting approval from the Kenyan government. If approved, it would be used to manage American citizens considered at high risk of Ebola infection in the region, including those who may test positive for the virus.
The move comes as health agencies step up response measures to contain the fast-spreading Bundibugyo strain of Ebola across parts of Congo and neighbouring Uganda. The outbreak has already been declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern by the World Health Organization, due to its potential to spread across borders.
Reuters reported that some members of the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, a uniformed service under the Department of Health and Human Services, have already received deployment notices. The White House and the Department of Health and Human Services have not yet responded to requests for comment.
At the same time, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has called on staff to volunteer for urgent deployment to help with Ebola screening at United States entry points as surveillance measures are tightened.
The CDC maintained that risk to the wider public remains low, stating: “To date, no cases of Ebola disease have been confirmed in the U.S. and the risk to the general public remains low,” the CDC said.
Ebola is a severe illness that spreads through direct contact with infected body fluids. Health experts say the current outbreak has been harder to control due to insecurity in affected areas, cross-border movement, and gaps in health systems in eastern Congo.
According to Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, Congo has recorded 906 suspected Ebola cases, including 105 confirmed infections, alongside 223 suspected deaths and 10 confirmed fatalities. Uganda has reported seven confirmed cases and one death linked to the outbreak.
The outbreak was first declared in Ituri Province on May 15, 2026, before spreading to North Kivu and South Kivu regions.
Africa CDC has since classified the situation as a Public Health Emergency of Continental Security, warning that high population movement and insecurity in the region could speed up transmission across East and Central Africa.