American tests positive for Ebola; U.S. to screen travelers at airports

[Anonymous]

Another deadly disease to worry about.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2026/05/18/ebola-outbreak-prompts-us-screen-travelers-airports-other-ports-entry/

American tests positive for Ebola; U.S. to screen travelers at airports
Health experts are growing increasingly alarmed about the outbreak, arguing that cases have been spreading undetected as public health authorities are stretched thin.

An American has tested positive for Ebola while working in Congo and is being transported to Germany for treatment along with six other Americans who are high-risk contacts, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.

The CDC also is enhancing public health screening and traveler monitoring amid a growing Ebola outbreak, and non-U.S. passport holders face entry restrictions if they have been to Uganda, the Democratic Republic of Congo or South Sudan in the previous 21 days.

“To the American public, the risk to the United States remains low,” said Satish Pillai, CDC Ebola response incident manager. “Travelers to the region should avoid contact with sick people, report symptoms immediately, and follow our travel guidance.”

Health experts are growing increasingly alarmed about this outbreak, arguing that cases have been spreading undetected in a volatile region as public health authorities are stretched thin amid funding cuts and the ongoing hantavirus outbreak.

[Anonymous]

Honestly, very few people need to worry about this. It spreads through close contact with a sick person's blood or bodily fluids, it's not easy to catch.

[Anonymous]

Why are you worried? An American working in Congo got Ebola after unknowingly operating on someone with Ebola- in Congo. Congo has Ebola outbreaks all the time. The people who should be worried are the people in the surrounding areas.

[Anonymous]

Why are there still Ebola outbreaks?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why are there still Ebola outbreaks?

Lack of education or wiliness to not eat bats.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why are there still Ebola outbreaks?

Is this an actual question?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why are there still Ebola outbreaks?

Ignore the PP's blame game. Ebola is endemic in the region, in pools of wild animals living in the dense forests. Villagers who live there can't help get infected, since they hunt them to survive. The problem is that Ebola strains evolve over time and this one isn't responding to the treatments developed for previous strains.

If you don't want villagers to eat antelopes and bats, maybe construct a world where humans don't need to hunt their own meat in tropical rainforests to live another day.

[Anonymous]

This strain seems to be a lot more virulent. How did the dr who was wearing appropriate protective gear for the surgery get infected?
His wife was also exposed as she’s an ob and gave an ultrasound to a pregnant woman who later died of Ebola.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why are there still Ebola outbreaks?

I'm sure dismantling USAID and pretty much every public health agency in the U.S., and taking us out of WHO hasn't helped.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why are there still Ebola outbreaks?

I'm sure dismantling USAID and pretty much every public health agency in the U.S., and taking us out of WHO hasn't helped.

Yep, you can pretty much directly draw a line. Bola is endemic and exists in animal reservoirs in that region, it's always going to come back. Cutting aid to rapid response can let it run rampant.

https://www.statnews.com/2026/05/19/us-aid-cuts-hamper-drc-ebola-response/

It isn't just ebola, cuts to aid are also hampering TB efforts. Over a million additional child deaths could result. https://hsph.harvard.edu/news/u-s-funding-cuts-could-result-in-nearly-9-million-child-tuberculosis-cases-1-5-million-child-deaths/

If I can't appeal tWe have to understand that the world is global and letting disease run rampant anywhere isn't good. TB becoming resistant to the treatments we have, ebola evolving to be more contagious, etc etc. This impacts everyone.

[Anonymous]

The current administration's decision to cut aid to other countries related to health issues/responses to diseases/vaccinations is one the DUMBEST decisions ever and will come back to bite us all. Idiots.

[Anonymous]

No one has batted an eye at the horrific things appearing since 2020? No one. Caught no ones attention...

[Anonymous]

The WHOs Ebola response when the US was more involved wasn’t stellar either.

[Anonymous]

Welp, China and Europe should really get to it and solve it the problem. Why are China and Europe not doing anything and letting it get out of control?

[Anonymous]

The chances of this actually becoming a thing anywhere you need to be worried about is slim to none. It is not easy to catch and the fact that it progresses quickly tends to prevent it from traveling far from its origin.

As for the PP saying the doctor was in PPE. Having been a Covid nurse, I can tell you that many, many people do not don/doff PPE properly.