The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced on Tuesday that it is collaborating closely with FIFA to implement safety and screening measures ahead of the World Cup, as the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) — currently facing an Ebola outbreak — plans to send its national soccer team to the United States for the tournament.
World Cup Matches and Ebola Concerns
The World Cup is set to commence on June 11, and the DRC men's soccer team is scheduled to face Portugal on June 17 at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas. However, concerns have escalated because the DRC is grappling with an outbreak of the Bundibugyo virus disease (BVD), a strain of Ebola for which no approved vaccine or treatment exists. This strain kills up to half of those infected.
American Workers Exposed
An American doctor working in the DRC has contracted the virus in the latest outbreak, and six other US workers are feared to have been exposed. They are being evacuated to Germany and the Czech Republic for medical care. The CDC has elevated its travel advisory for the DRC to Level 3, urging Americans to reconsider nonessential travel to the region.
Enhanced Screening and Entry Restrictions
On Monday, the CDC announced increased screening and monitoring for individuals arriving from Ebola-affected areas. Non-US passport holders who have been in Uganda, the DRC, or South Sudan within the past 21 days will face entry restrictions. The outbreak has resulted in at least 136 deaths, with over 540 suspected cases, and one additional fatality has been reported in neighboring Uganda.
CDC officials did not provide specific details about screening procedures for the World Cup but reiterated that they are actively coordinating with FIFA to ensure safe travel and passage, and to protect the American public throughout the event.
Risk Assessment and Precautions
The CDC stated that the risk to the general US public remains low. However, travelers to affected areas are advised to avoid contact with sick individuals and to monitor for Ebola symptoms for 21 days after leaving the DRC. Approximately 25 personnel are stationed at the US office in the DRC, and the CDC is deploying an additional expert from Atlanta to the region.
Resources and Historical Context
The agency is also sending personal protective equipment and additional resources to the DRC and Uganda to support aggressive disease tracking and contact tracing. This marks the 17th Ebola outbreak in the DRC since the virus was discovered in 1976, but only the third caused by the Bundibugyo strain. Previous BVD outbreaks occurred in 2007 and 2012.
Recent Ebola outbreaks in the DRC in 2018 and 2020 each killed over 1,000 people. The largest outbreak on record took place in West Africa from 2014 to 2016, with more than 28,600 cases reported.
WHO Classification and Regional Risks
The World Health Organization (WHO) has determined that the current outbreak does not meet the criteria for a pandemic but is classified as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. Countries sharing borders with the DRC, such as Uganda and Rwanda, face an elevated risk of further spread.
Transmission and Symptoms
Ebola spreads through contact with blood or bodily fluids of an infected person, contaminated objects, or infected animals like bats or primates. Symptoms include fever, headache, muscle pain, weakness, diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and unexplained bleeding or bruising. The Bundibugyo virus has a mortality rate ranging from 25 to 50 percent.
In contrast, the Zaire strain, the most common form of Ebola, can be treated with drugs like Inmazeb and Ebanga, and prevented with the Ervebo vaccine, which is administered during outbreaks. Dr. Amanda Rojek, Associate Professor of Health Emergencies at the University of Oxford's Pandemic Sciences Institute, noted that Bundibugyo has fewer proven countermeasures compared to Zaire ebolavirus, where vaccines have been highly effective in controlling outbreaks.
The WHO reported on Sunday that the first suspected case, a healthcare worker in the DRC, developed symptoms on April 24. Two infected individuals from the DRC traveled separately to Kampala, Uganda's capital, where one died. The WHO stated there is no evidence of ongoing transmission in Uganda.
