Health Minute: Health experts share facts about Ebola
Experts are sharing facts about Ebola with the public as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention work to contain an outbreak in Africa.
HEALTH MINUTE (CNN) - The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is working to contain an Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Uganda. The CDC said no cases have been confirmed in the U.S. because of the outbreak and the overall risk to Americans and travelers is low. However, a missionary group confirmed that an American doctor working in Africa has tested positive for the virus. Several others with him are also being monitored.
The CDC reported that the outbreak was caused by an infection with the Bundibugyo Ebola virus that is primarily found in Sub-Saharan Africa. According to health experts, Ebola has an estimated mortality rate between 25 to 40%. There is no approved vaccine or treatment for this strain.
“May 17th was this declaration of a public health emergency of international concern, which basically means that this was a serious event, a sudden event, an unexpected event, and that there’s implications beyond the borders that you’re seeing there,” said Dr. Sanjay Gupta, a neurosurgeon.
Officials in the DRC and Uganda said the outbreak has killed more than 130 people. The CDC says Ebola symptoms can begin two to 21 days after contact with the virus and may include fever, aches, pains and fatigue. As the person gets sicker, experts said they can experience diarrhea, vomiting and unexplained bleeding. It is spread through contact with the body fluids of an infected person, including handling contaminated materials from someone who died from the disease.
“If you sort of combine all these things lack of testing, volatile areas, some of the cuts, it’s not surprising to have a situation like we see unfolding right now,” said Gupta.
The CDC said the immediate risk to the U.S. public is low, but the agency said it is tracking the “evolving situation.” The agency invoked Title 42, a public health law that restricts entry into the U.S. during outbreaks of communicable diseases. It lasts at least 30 days and began Monday, May 19, 2026.
Copyright 2026 KNOE. All rights reserved.
