U.S. Citizen Tests Positive for Ebola in Congo Outbreak; CDC Coordinates Containment

A U.S. citizen working for a humanitarian organization in Congo tested positive for Ebola, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Friday. The CDC is working with the person's employer, U.S.

Agencies, public health authorities and Congolese partners to prevent further transmission and identify close contacts. The agency provided no additional details about the case. Congo has recorded 1,830 confirmed cases, including 648 deaths.

Cases have also been confirmed in neighboring Uganda. Congolese authorities declared the outbreak on May 15. The disease had been spreading for weeks before detection, according to the World Health Organization.

The outbreak is caused by the rare Bundibugyo virus, which has no approved vaccine or treatment. Clinical trials for treatment began last week. The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention described the outbreak as the fastest-growing Ebola outbreak ever recorded on the continent.

An ongoing conflict in eastern Congo has displaced thousands, spreading the virus. Mistrust and attacks on health centers have hampered response efforts. Healthcare workers often lack adequate protective gear.

CBS News reported that the Trump administration requested $1.4 billion in supplemental funding from Congress to address the outbreak in Congo, Uganda and elsewhere. Plans for a treatment facility in Kenya were suspended following a Kenyan court order. In the first week of the outbreak, an American doctor working in Congo tested positive, received treatment in Germany and recovered.

CBS News reported that he and his family returned to the United States in June.