Second US aid worker in Congo tests positive amid Ebola outbreak
Why it matters: The Bundibugyo strain has killed 648 people in Congo, has no approved vaccine or treatment, and cases have spread to Uganda.
A U.S. citizen working for a humanitarian organization in the Democratic Republic of the Congo tested positive for the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Friday. The case is the second involving an American during Congo's latest outbreak. The CDC said it is working with the employer, U.S. agencies and Congolese health authorities to trace contacts and assess high-risk exposures. Africa CDC has called the epidemic the fastest-growing Ebola outbreak recorded on the continent, with 1,830 confirmed cases and 648 deaths in Congo. Cases have also been confirmed in neighboring Uganda. Congolese authorities declared the outbreak on May 15 after weeks of undetected transmission.