Ebola Outbreak Reported in Congo and Uganda, Death Toll Reaches 223

Laboratory tests identified the Bundibugyo strain, which has no approved vaccine. The World Health Organization declared the outbreak an extraordinary event that could pose a public health risk to multiple nations. The death toll has since risen to 223 across Congo and Uganda.

Travel and Screening Measures The U.S.

Non-U.S. passport holders who have been in Uganda, Congo, or South Sudan in the last 21 days are barred from entry, and enhanced screenings began at airports in Houston, Atlanta, and Washington, D.C. Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston opened as the third U.S. airport conducting Ebola health screenings.

24, a group of young men stormed a hospital treating Ebola patients in Congo and opened fire while attempting to reclaim bodies, according to the Associated Press. It was the third attack on treatment facilities in four days.

Researchers in England reported that animal testing has begun for a new experimental vaccine, with clinical trials still months away. The World Health Organization is considering limited use of Merck’s Ervebo vaccine, which targets the Zaire strain, despite limited evidence of effectiveness against Bundibugyo.