Uganda shuts border with Congo as rare Ebola strain spreads, defying WHO advice

Uganda on Wednesday closed its border with the Democratic Republic of Congo, where a rare and particularly dangerous form of Ebola is spreading rapidly. The decision came after several Ugandan health workers contracted the virus from Congolese patients who crossed into Uganda before the outbreak was officially declared in eastern Congo on May 15.

The measure, taken by a Ugandan task force, goes directly against recommendations from the World Health Organization, which has repeatedly warned that border closures can drive movement to unmonitored crossings and actually increase the risk of contagion. But Ugandan authorities say the risk is too great to ignore, especially given that the Bundibugyo strain — first identified in 2007 — has no approved medicines or vaccines.

According to figures compiled by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the WHO, Congo has recorded 121 confirmed Ebola cases and 17 confirmed deaths, along with at least 1,077 suspected cases and 246 suspected deaths. In Uganda, seven confirmed cases have been reported, including one death.

Dr. Diana Atwine of Uganda’s Ministry of Health told journalists that border crossings will now only be permitted in emergencies — such as for outbreak response, cargo transport or security reasons. Anyone entering from Congo under these circumstances will be placed in mandatory 21-day isolation.

Health experts stress that tracing and isolating contacts is the most effective way to contain Ebola, which spreads through direct contact with the bodily fluids of sick or deceased patients. Healthcare workers and family members caring for the infected face the highest risk.

On Wednesday, Congolese authorities announced that the first patient to recover from the Bundibugyo virus in the current outbreak had been discharged from a treatment center in Rwampara, one of the hardest-hit towns in eastern Congo.

The WHO has declared the outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern, but has consistently discouraged border closures. “Closures push the movement of people and goods to informal border crossings that are not monitored, thus increasing the chances of the spread of disease,” the agency said.

The Uganda-Congo border stretches several hundred miles and is dotted with dozens of unofficial footpaths used daily by traders and families. The porousness of the frontier makes containment especially difficult.

Congolese health authorities are struggling to keep up. The WHO has acknowledged the outbreak is outpacing response efforts. Compounding the problem: the Bundibugyo strain was confirmed weeks late because initial tests targeted a more common type of Ebola. Armed groups, large displaced populations, and poor infrastructure in eastern Congo are also hindering containment.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus called on Wednesday for a ceasefire in eastern Congo to allow safe access for responders. “Attacks on health facilities make tracking cases and their contacts nearly impossible,” he wrote on social media.

Meanwhile, the United States is taking aggressive steps to prevent the virus from reaching its shores. Multiple CDC officials confirmed to CBS News that the U.S. is setting up a facility in Kenya for Americans exposed to or infected with Ebola. Earlier this month, an American doctor who contracted Ebola while working with a missionary group in Congo was airlifted to Germany for treatment. Six other Americans have been transported to Germany and the Czech Republic for monitoring.

All U.S. citizens who have recently been in Congo, Uganda or South Sudan must now enter the country through one of three designated airports — Houston Bush Intercontinental, Washington Dulles International or Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International — for mandatory enhanced screening. John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York will be added to the list on Thursday, U.S. Customs and Border Protection announced. Houston’s airport expects to screen up to 50 passengers per day.

U.S. green card holders and foreign nationals who have recently traveled to any of the three affected countries are currently barred from entering the United States under CDC guidelines. “We cannot and will not allow any cases of Ebola to enter the United States,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters Wednesday during President Trump’s Cabinet meeting at the White House.