This new measure was revealed on Friday by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), representing a notable tightening of entry regulations.
CDC Broadens Ebola Restrictions
According to the updated directive, lawful permanent residents, often referred to as green card holders, who have been in the DRC, Uganda, or South Sudan within the last 21 days will face temporary entry bans to the US.
Previously, US citizens, nationals, and green card holders were exempt from a broader 30-day Ebola-related entry restriction. However, the CDC indicated that the dynamic nature of the outbreak necessitated further precautions to prevent the virus’s introduction into the country.
“Applying this authority to lawful permanent residents for a limited timeframe ensures a balance between safeguarding public health and managing emergency response resources,” the agency stated.
Traditionally, green card holders have been exempt from entry limitations into the United States, avoiding the numerous travel restrictions issued by President Donald Trump as well as the CDC’s COVID-era orders.
WHO Raises Global Alert
This action came shortly after the World Health Organization (WHO) increased the risk level of the rare Bundibugyo strain of Ebola to ‘very high’ and classified the Ebola spread in the DRC and Uganda as an emergency of international concern.
“We are now updating our risk assessment to very high at the national level, high at the regional level, and low at the global level,” remarked WHO Chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Parthesarathy Rajendran, Executive Director of Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) South Asia, noted that the ongoing outbreak is ‘deeply concerning’ due to its association with the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, a rarer variant for which no approved vaccine or targeted treatment currently exists.
Since the outbreak was officially declared on May 15, DRC has reported over 500 suspected cases and more than 130 fatalities, with cases spreading across various provinces and into Uganda.
MSF Warns of Escalating Crisis
Rajendran cautioned that delayed detection and fragile healthcare infrastructures are exacerbating the crisis, noting that the outbreak was identified late and is propagating in regions already plagued by conflict, displacement, and inadequate medical facilities, rendering this outbreak ‘particularly perilous’.
“For us at Doctors Without Borders, MSF, this is our 17th Ebola response. We are swiftly scaling up emergency support with health authorities, deploying seasoned Ebola specialists, medical teams, logisticians, and critical supplies to affected areas,” Rajendran elaborated.
According to MSF, over 50 individuals had already died since early April before the outbreak was officially acknowledged in mid-May.
No Approved Vaccine or Treatment
The Bundibugyo strain poses unique challenges compared to earlier Ebola outbreaks. Current Ebola vaccines are only approved for the more prevalent Zaire strain and are not authorized for use against Bundibugyo virus infections.
Additionally, existing monoclonal antibody treatments developed during previous Ebola outbreaks have not been authorized for this strain. There are antiviral candidates and experimental monoclonal antibodies available, but their effectiveness remains unverified, as stated in the MSF report.
In the absence of a specific vaccine or treatment, healthcare professionals are primarily relying on supportive care, including fluid replacement, oxygen therapy, symptom management, and monitoring of blood and cardiac measures.
In previous Bundibugyo outbreaks, the fatality rate ranged from 25 to 40%.
Testing Kit Shortage Slows Detection
According to the report, one significant obstacle in addressing the outbreak is the lack of rapid diagnostic capability for the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola. PCR tests necessary for confirming infections depend on virus-specific diagnostic kits, but availability remains limited. This shortage has considerably delayed the confirmation of suspected cases, hindering critical response strategies such as contact tracing and patient isolation.
Outbreak Spreads Across DRC and Uganda
MSF reported that it first received notifications on May 9 and 10 regarding an increasing number of deaths in the Mongwalu health zone of Ituri province, northwest of Bunia. Confirmed cases later emerged in Bunia and Rwampara health zones, eventually spreading into the neighboring province of North Kivu, including the regional capital Goma, pointing to a broader territorial expansion.
Ugandan health officials confirmed the nation’s first Ebola-related death on May 14. In light of the rapidly developing crisis, the World Health Organization activated its highest emergency alert level on May 17.
17th Ebola Outbreak
This marks the 17th recorded Ebola outbreak in the DRC since the virus was first identified in 1976, and the third outbreak specifically involving the Bundibugyo strain.
