Media: Several US citizens may be infected with Ebola in Congo

At least six US citizens may have been infected with the Ebola virus in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, CBS News reports, citing sources in international humanitarian organisations.

According to the report, three Americans were exposed to a high risk of infection, with one already showing symptoms of the disease. It is not yet known whether they remain in Congolese territory.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) stated that more than 300 suspected Ebola cases have been recorded in the country as of May 17, eight of which have been laboratory confirmed.

Earlier reports suggested that US citizens who had contact with infected individuals could be evacuated to a US military base in Germany for quarantine and treatment if their diagnosis is confirmed, although US authorities have not officially commented.

The current outbreak in Ituri province in eastern Congo is the 17th in the country since 1976. One of the largest Ebola epidemics in history occurred between 2014 and 2016, killing more than 11,000 people.

By Jeyhun Aghazada