Americans exposed to 'high-risk' contact with Ebola in DR Congo as one US national develops symptoms

Six American nationals have been exposed to the Ebola virus during the ongoing outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo, with one individual now displaying symptoms of the disease.

Three of those affected are understood to have experienced high-risk contact with suspected cases, according to STAT News.

Washington is currently working to arrange the evacuation of all six citizens from the DRC, with officials exploring quarantine options abroad.

Rather than bringing the potentially infected Americans back to US soil, authorities are reportedly considering transferring them to a military installation in Germany.

Test results confirming whether any of the six have contracted the virus remain pending.

The World Health Organisation declared the outbreak in the DRC and Uganda a public health emergency of international concern on Saturday.

The Africa Centre for Disease Control reports that at least 88 people have succumbed to the disease, with 336 suspected cases recorded thus far.

This marks the 18th documented Ebola outbreak in the DRC since the virus was first identified.

The current crisis has predominantly struck the eastern Ituri province and neighbouring Uganda.

Health officials have confirmed the outbreak stems from the Bundibugyo virus, a particularly rare strain for which no approved treatments or vaccines currently exist.

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The CDC announced on Sunday that it has activated its emergency response centre to address the escalating crisis.

The agency intends to dispatch additional personnel to its offices in both the DRC and Uganda.

"CDC is also supporting interagency partners who are actively coordinating the safe withdrawal of a small number of Americans who are directly affected by this outbreak," the agency stated.

Satish Pillai, serving as the CDC's Ebola response incident manager, would not confirm whether any American citizens were among those infected.

However, he stressed that the threat to the US homeland remains minimal despite the concerning developments in central Africa.

Ebola spreads through direct contact with bodily fluids from an infected person, rather than through airborne transmission or casual interaction.

Initial symptoms typically include fever, muscular pain, exhaustion, sore throat and headaches, progressing to vomiting, diarrhoea, skin rashes and bleeding.

The WHO has cautioned that the true scale of the outbreak may exceed current detection levels, with data revealing substantial risks from household and caregiver transmission.

Epidemiologists have voiced alarm at how swiftly the haemorrhagic fever has intensified in a region characterised by significant cross-border movement.

Women account for more than 60 per cent of suspected cases, with those aged 20 to 39 most affected.