Oct 6, 2022 - Health

U.S. to screen passengers arriving from Uganda for Ebola

Erin Doherty

Health workers take measures after 2 patients, who were in quarantine due to outbreak of Ebola, discharged from Mubende Refferal Hospital in Kampala, Uganda on September 30, 2022 — Health workers take measures after two patients were discharged from Mubende Referral Hospital in Kampala, Uganda on Sept. 30. Photo: Nicholas Kajoba/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

Flights arriving from Uganda will be redirected to five U.S. airports for "enhanced screening" of the Ebola virus, the U.S. Embassy in Uganda said Thursday.

Driving the news: No cases of Ebola have been discovered outside of Uganda, "and the risk of Ebola domestically is currently low," the embassy said in the Thursday health alert.

As of Oct. 6 at 11:59pm ET, all U.S.-bound passengers who have been in Uganda in the 21 days before their arrival to the U.S. will be routed to airports in New York, Newark, Atlanta, Chicago and Washington, per the health alert.

Between the lines: "While there are no direct flights from Uganda to the United States, travelers from or passing through affected areas in Uganda can enter the United States on flights connecting from other countries," the CDC said in a health advisory on Thursday.

The big picture: There have been 44 confirmed cases of Ebola, including 10 confirmed deaths, as of Oct. 6, per the CDC.

Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra met Thursday with Uganda's Minister of Health Jane Aceng Ocero to discuss the Ebola outbreak.
"Secretary Becerra emphasized that the United States and HHS stand ready and willing to support Uganda throughout this challenging period," per a readout of the call.

Go deeper... One year on — No end in sight for deadly Ebola outbreak

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U.S. to screen passengers arriving from Uganda for Ebola

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