A US citizen working with a humanitarian organisation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has tested positive for the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.
The CDC said it was coordinating with the aid worker’s employer, other US government agencies and partners in the DRC to prevent further transmission and identify people who may have had high-risk contact with the patient.
A US State Department spokesperson confirmed on Saturday that officials were aware of the case and were working to support the affected American citizen.
The spokesperson declined to provide further information about the patient’s condition, location or possible evacuation plans.
Bundibugyo ebolavirus is one of several virus species capable of causing Ebola disease, a severe and frequently fatal illness transmitted through direct contact with the blood or bodily fluids of an infected person.
Health authorities in the DRC have been battling a widening Ebola outbreak, with cases reported across several eastern and northeastern provinces.