WASHINGTON: US health authorities activated the highest level of response to the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo, while announcing the shipment of experimental treatments to the region.
“Our assessment is that the risk to the US continues to remain low,” said Satish Pillai, who is leading the Ebola response at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, CDC.
The leading US public health agency nevertheless announced a Level 1 response — the highest level — as it did for the worst-ever Ebola epidemic in 2014.
The US is working on finding a vaccine targeting the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola while sending an experimental treatment and preparing diagnostic tests to help contain the outbreak in Africa, the Department of Health and Human Services said.
The heightened response level is an “internal cue” indicating that the outbreak is a top priority for the agency, a CDC official said.
