CDC joins efforts to contain Ebola outbreak in Republic of the Congo

As the World Health Organization (WHO) and health agencies in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) seek to clamp down quickly on a new Ebola outbreak in the country, they can now count on the expertise of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as well.

The CDC has deployed Ebola experts to North Kivu province in the DRC, where the outbreak has been going since at least July 30. Their goal is to help guide coordination of outbreak response and communication, as well as the more scientific work of lab testing, contact tracing and infection control.

This marks the second Ebola outbreak in the DRC this year. Another incident occurred in Equateur province, though the two incidents do not appear to be linked. Both are of the ebolavirus species ebolavirus Zaire, the CDC said in an Aug. 9 statement.

Early response is critical to contain any viral hemorrhagic fever outbreaks, the agency noted, but it is particularly challenging in remote areas.

While their experts work on the ground, the CDC has also issued a travel notice and warned travelers to avoid infected people’s blood and bodily fluids. They have not gone so far as to recommend avoiding travel to the DRC.