CDC Mobilizes Staff for Airport Ebola Screenings Amid DRC Outbreak The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued an urgent call for its workforce to assist with Ebola screening efforts at U.S. airports, as the outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and neighboring Uganda escalates. Acting CDC Director Dr. Jay Bhattacharya sent an internal email to staff requesting additional personnel, including public health advisors, emergency management specialists, and licensed medical providers, to conduct health checks on travelers arriving from the DRC, Uganda, and South Sudan. The move follows the CDC’s temporary ban on entry for non-U.S. citizens who had visited these regions within the past 21 days. New York’s JFK International Airport has been added to the list of designated screening locations, joining Dulles International Airport, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, and George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston. Staff at these airports will monitor passengers for symptoms such as fever, refer suspected cases for further evaluation, and support containment efforts. The CDC’s initiative comes as the International Rescue Committee (IRC) warned that the outbreak is spreading faster than responders can control, risking becoming the deadliest on record. The IRC highlighted that the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, responsible for the current outbreak, is particularly challenging to detect and has a fatality rate ranging from 30% to 50% in past cases. Unlike other strains, there are no approved vaccines or treatments for the Bundibugyo variant, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).#world_health_organization #cdc #democratic_republic_of_congo #dr_jay_bhattacharya #international_rescue_committee
