Health Alert: U.S. Embassy Kampala – August 7, 2018

Location: North Eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC):

  • Mangina area
  • North Kivu province
  • Ituri province 

Event: The DRC Ministry of Health announced a new outbreak of Ebola virus.  At this stage, there is no indication that this outbreak is related to the recent epidemic in the Equateur Province in the far North Western part of the country.

Additional information about the outbreak can be found by checking the World Health Organization’s Ebola situation reports and the CDC’s Ebola outbreak report.

The DRC government is deploying mobile laboratories, personnel, and supplies to the affected area.  The DRC is also implementing heightened surveillance and exploring the use of an investigational vaccine.

Ugandan airports and border posts are conducting entry screening for travelers arriving from affected areas in DRC. The National Task Force has been activated.  Rapid response teams have traveled to districts closest to the affected provinces in DRC.  They are conducting public health risk mapping to assess movement patterns, enhanced surveillance, screening, and hand washing at points of entry in high-risk districts, alerting other districts about the need for enhanced surveillance, and assessing preparedness in high-risk districts.

Actions to Take: 

  • Monitor local media for updates. 

Assistance:

+256-414-30-6800

+256-414-30-6001 (after hours)

  • State Department – Consular Affairs

888-407-4747 or 202-501-4444