{"id":94199,"date":"2026-07-11T10:31:30","date_gmt":"2026-07-11T14:31:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/american-working-for-aid-group-tests-positive-for-ebola-in-congo\/"},"modified":"2026-07-11T10:31:30","modified_gmt":"2026-07-11T14:31:30","slug":"american-working-for-aid-group-tests-positive-for-ebola-in-congo","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/american-working-for-aid-group-tests-positive-for-ebola-in-congo\/","title":{"rendered":"American Working for Aid Group Tests Positive for Ebola in Congo"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n

A U.S. citizen working for a humanitarian organization in Congo has tested positive for the Ebola virus, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Friday, as the Central African nation continues to battle a rapidly growing outbreak.<\/p>

The CDC said it is coordinating with the infected person’s employer, U.S. government agencies, public health authorities, and Congolese partners to stop the virus from spreading further and to track down anyone who may have had close contact with the individual. No additional details about the patient were released.<\/p>

Earlier this week, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention reported that this outbreak is the fastest-growing Ebola outbreak ever documented on the continent. So far, Congo has recorded 1,830 confirmed cases, including 648 deaths. The disease has also spread to neighboring Uganda.<\/p>

This is not the first American to be affected during this outbreak. In the outbreak’s opening week, an American doctor working in Congo also tested positive and was flown to Germany for medical care.<\/p>

Trump administration officials had initially announced plans to send Americans exposed to Ebola overseas to a new facility in Kenya, rather than bringing them back to the United States. However, those plans have since been put on hold following a ruling by a Kenyan court.<\/p>

Congolese authorities officially declared the new Ebola outbreak on May 15, after the World Health Organization determined the disease had been spreading for weeks before it was formally detected.<\/p>

The current outbreak is being driven by the rare Bundibugyo strain of the virus, for which there is currently no approved vaccine or treatment available.<\/p>

Efforts to bring the outbreak under control have faced serious obstacles, including a lack of adequate funding, attacks on health care facilities, and ongoing armed conflict in eastern Congo, where the outbreak is centered.<\/p>

Last week, researchers launched highly anticipated clinical trials aimed at finding an effective treatment for the Bundibugyo virus.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A U.S. citizen employed by a humanitarian organization in Congo has tested positive for the Ebola virus, health officials confirmed Friday. The current outbreak is the fastest-growing Ebola outbreak ever recorded in Africa, with nearly 1,830 confirmed cases and 648 deaths. The rare Bundibugyo strain behind the outbreak has no approved vaccine or treatment.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":94198,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[837],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-94199","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/news-1783780289798.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pbtNqq-ovl","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":67886,"url":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/who-declares-congo-uganda-ebola-outbreak-international-health-emergency\/","url_meta":{"origin":94199,"position":0},"title":"WHO Declares Congo, Uganda Ebola Outbreak International Health Emergency","author":"Admin","date":"May 17, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"The World Health Organization has declared an Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda a public health emergency of international concern. The outbreak involves the Bundibugyo strain of the virus, for which there are no approved vaccines or treatments available.","rel":"","context":"In "Health"","block_context":{"text":"Health","link":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/category\/health\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/news-1779027777904.jpg?fit=450%2C264&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":68505,"url":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/congo-ebola-outbreak-timeline-who-declares-international-health-emergency\/","url_meta":{"origin":94199,"position":1},"title":"Congo Ebola Outbreak Timeline: WHO Declares International Health Emergency","author":"Admin","date":"May 18, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Health authorities trace the current Ebola outbreak in Congo back several weeks, with the death toll now exceeding 100 people. The World Health Organization has declared it a public health emergency of international concern after cases spread to Uganda.","rel":"","context":"In "Health"","block_context":{"text":"Health","link":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/category\/health\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/news-1779137540444.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/news-1779137540444.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/news-1779137540444.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/news-1779137540444.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":67872,"url":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/who-declares-congo-uganda-ebola-outbreak-global-health-emergency\/","url_meta":{"origin":94199,"position":2},"title":"WHO Declares Congo, Uganda Ebola Outbreak Global Health Emergency","author":"Admin","date":"May 17, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"The World Health Organization has designated an Ebola outbreak spanning the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda as a public health emergency of international concern. The outbreak has resulted in 80 suspected deaths and multiple confirmed cases across both nations.","rel":"","context":"In "Health"","block_context":{"text":"Health","link":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/category\/health\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/news-1779024194663.jpg?fit=450%2C264&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":68770,"url":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/ebola-outbreak-in-congo-claims-131-lives-as-deadly-virus-spreads\/","url_meta":{"origin":94199,"position":3},"title":"Ebola Outbreak in Congo Claims 131 Lives as Deadly Virus Spreads","author":"Admin","date":"May 19, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Health officials in the Democratic Republic of Congo report 26 additional suspected Ebola fatalities in a single day, bringing the total death count to 131. The World Health Organization has declared the outbreak a global health emergency as the rare Bundibugyo strain continues spreading through densely populated areas.","rel":"","context":"In "Health"","block_context":{"text":"Health","link":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/category\/health\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/news-1779183394019.jpg?fit=450%2C264&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":70919,"url":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/uganda-wants-ebola-virus-name-changed-to-protect-districts-reputation\/","url_meta":{"origin":94199,"position":4},"title":"Uganda Wants Ebola Virus Name Changed to Protect District’s Reputation","author":"Admin","date":"May 22, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Ugandan officials are pushing for the renaming of the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola virus, which was named after a scenic western Uganda district following a 2007 outbreak. The current Ebola outbreak in Congo has brought unwanted attention to the district of 200,000 people, many of whom are cocoa farmers.","rel":"","context":"In "Health"","block_context":{"text":"Health","link":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/category\/health\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/news-1779507419575.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/news-1779507419575.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/news-1779507419575.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/news-1779507419575.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":66965,"url":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/health-officials-confirm-ebola-outbreak-in-democratic-republic-of-congo\/","url_meta":{"origin":94199,"position":5},"title":"Health Officials Confirm Ebola Outbreak in Democratic Republic of Congo","author":"Admin","date":"May 15, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Continental health authorities have verified an Ebola outbreak in Congo's Ituri province with 246 suspected cases and 65 deaths reported. Officials are organizing emergency meetings with neighboring countries to strengthen border monitoring and response measures.","rel":"","context":"In "Health"","block_context":{"text":"Health","link":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/category\/health\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/news-1778829783262.png?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/news-1778829783262.png?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/news-1778829783262.png?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/news-1778829783262.png?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/news-1778829783262.png?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/94199","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=94199"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/94199\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/94198"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=94199"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=94199"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=94199"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}