Could Ebola spread to the US? WHO emergency sparks fears after American infected in Congo
An immunologist says Ebola's long incubation period means it could cross borders silently, though risk of spread to the U.S. remains low for now as the African outbreak continues.
The World Health Organization has declared an international public health emergency as a growing Ebola outbreak in Central Africa sparks concern that the deadly virus could spread beyond the region — including into the United States.
The outbreak has been linked to dozens of suspected deaths in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and neighboring Uganda.
Ebola is a zoonotic, viral disease that is rare but life-threatening, according to Cleveland Clinic. Outbreaks typically develop in areas of Africa, starting in species like antelope, fruit bats and nonhuman primates.
There are four different Ebola strains, also known as orthoebolaviruses. Bundibugyo virus is the strain that has been detected in the DRC outbreak.
While the outbreak does not meet the criteria for a pandemic emergency, U.S. officials are warning Americans not to visit the area, escalating the State Department travel advisory from a Level 3 to Level 4 on Sunday.
One American tested positive for Ebola on May 17 while working in Congo and is being transported to Germany for treatment with other Americans who are high-risk contacts, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
As of May 18, there have been 11 confirmed and 336 suspected cases, including 88 deaths in the DRC.
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"This is a rapidly evolving situation, and case counts are subject to change," the CDC noted.
While no cases have been detected in the U.S., there is a possibility that it could make its way into American territory, posing a threat to public health.
Dr. Jacob Glanville, a leading immunologist at Centivax in San Francisco, which is developing a universal flu vaccine, spoke with Fox News Digital about the potential spread of Ebola into the U.S.
The doctor noted that the virus has a two- to 21-day incubation period, during which an infected person can show no symptoms and the infection cannot be detected by tests.
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"It is thus possible for Ebola to move across international borders silently, bypassing screening," he said.
"Some travel restrictions from the affected area have been put in place to limit this risk, although as this outbreak was spreading silently for months, it is possible that an infected traveler had come to the U.S. in the past 21 days from the affected areas prior to the travel restrictions."
Glanville noted that while the outbreak is "growing rapidly," one week ago there were fewer than 500 global cases.
"Thus, the chance of an infected traveler having come to the U.S. remains quite low for the time being," he said.
Dr. Robert H. Hopkins, Jr., medical director of the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases, agreed that the threat to American communities remains low.
"The viruses that cause Ebola pose a very small risk, even to travelers to areas with outbreaks," the Arkansas-based expert told Fox News Digital. "This virus is transmitted only person-to-person via infected blood and body fluids from symptomatic people, and rarely from infected animals."
Ebola spreads through direct contact with infected blood, bodily fluids or remains of infected people or animals, including fluids such as saliva and sweat, according to Hopkins.
Cleveland Clinic notes that it is "very unlikely" for Ebola to be an airborne infection.
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The virus starts with flu-like symptoms, including fever, chills, fatigue, headache, muscle pain, vomiting/diarrhea and loss of appetite. Other signs may include a rash or spots of blood under the skin, hiccups, bruising and red, bloodshot eyes.
As the disease is a type of viral hemorrhagic fever, it causes damage to the blood vessels and can lead to more serious symptoms, including severe bleeding or hemorrhaging, neurological disorders and severe vomiting.
For those who have traveled to the outbreak area, Hopkins recommends monitoring for symptoms for three weeks after departing and seeking immediate care if symptoms develop.
Treatments are available, along with a vaccine that can help protect high-risk individuals and prevent further spread, according to healthcare professionals.
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Avoiding contact with blood, body fluids, and sick or deceased people and animals is "highly effective in the prevention of Ebola transmission," Hopkins advised.
"If contact is required, high-quality personal protective equipment is recommended before contact with potentially infectious people and/or materials," he added.
Fox News Digital’s Michael Sinkewicz and Andrea Margolis contributed to this report.
