Ebola virus
US-bound air passengers must sign a statement that they have not travelled to the Democratic Republic of Congo, the epicentre of a deadly Ebola outbreak, under new rules coming into force on Tuesday, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Africa’s latest Ebola outbreak has killed more than 5,300 people, the vast majority of them in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), according to the continent’s top health agency.
Anyone boarding an international flight to the United States must sign a statement that they have not been present in the DRC in the 21 days before their travel, according to the CDC.
The CDC said the rules are required as “a public health measure intended to reduce the risk of Ebola being introduced into the United States through air travel.”
The outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, for which no approved vaccine or treatment is currently available.
In recent weeks, clinical trials have begun with the Ervebo vaccine, which has proved effective against the more common Zaire strain of the virus.
