The U.S. government will open a quarantine facility in Kenya for American citizens exposed to the Ebola outbreak in Africa, starting Friday. This facility will have 50 beds and will be staffed by trained personnel from the Commissioned Corps of the U.S. Public Health Service.
The unit will include 12 patient isolation beds and four biocontainment beds for those who show symptoms and require treatment, including monoclonal antibodies. Over 230 individuals have died in the recent outbreak in the Congo, which has also affected Uganda.
Ebola is highly contagious and spreads through direct contact with bodily fluids. The current outbreak involves the Bundibugyo Ebolavirus strain, which lacks an FDA-approved vaccine. The number of U.S. citizens exposed to the virus in Africa remains unclear.
The establishment of the facility has faced criticism from former federal public health officials involved in previous Ebola responses. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that the administration aims to prevent any Ebola cases from entering the U.S., raising concerns about the care U.S. citizens might receive if they are exposed or develop symptoms.
The decision to set up the facility was influenced by logistical challenges in evacuating citizens from remote areas of the Congo and the risk of deteriorating health during transport to the U.S. Personnel from the Public Health Service, trained by experts from past Ebola outbreaks, are being deployed to the facility. Plans for individual treatment, including potential repatriation, will be made for each citizen as needed.
