US moves to curb Ebola risk, says immediate risk to public is low

U.S. health officials have begun enhanced screening and other precautions after the World Health Organization declared the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda a public health emergency of international concern.

The CDC says the immediate risk to the general U.S. public remains low. Officials also said there are no confirmed Ebola cases in the United States linked to this outbreak.

What changed

CDC and the Department of Homeland Security implemented enhanced travel screening, entry restrictions and related public health measures on May 18. The State Department also paused visa operations in South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda in response to the outbreak.

The WHO declared the outbreak a public health emergency of international concern on May 17. CDC said it has mobilized response activities with partners as part of its international response.

For now, officials are focused on reducing the risk that infected travelers could enter the country while the outbreak continues in central and east Africa. The main uncertainty is how quickly the caseload and geographic spread may evolve in the coming days.