The US has banned entry to foreigners travelling from several African countries after health officials confirmed an American citizen had contracted Ebola.
The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) imposed a 30-day suspension on foreign nationals who have recently travelled through the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Uganda or South Sudan within the past three weeks.
The restrictions will not apply to US citizens or lawful permanent residents.
On Monday, CDC officials confirmed an American had contracted Ebola while working in the DRC and said authorities were taking "proactive measures" to protect the public.
The agency added that the immediate threat to the wider public remained low.
"We will continue to evaluate the evolving situation and may adjust public health measures as additional information becomes available," the CDC said.
The infected American is currently outside the US and is being evacuated to Germany after testing positive in the DRC late on Sunday.
CDC Ebola response incident manager Dr Satish Pillai confirmed six additional US citizens are also being evacuated after possible exposure to the virus.
On Monday, CDC officials confirmed an American had contracted Ebola while working in the DRC
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While officials did not initially identify the infected American, medical missionary organisation Serge later confirmed one of its doctors, Peter Stafford, had tested positive.
The charity said Mr Stafford was exposed to the disease while treating patients at Nyankunde Hospital in Bunia.
Mr Stafford moved to Africa with his wife and four children in 2019 and has worked for Serge since 2023.
The organisation confirmed his wife Rebekah, alongside two other healthcare workers, had also been exposed but were not currently showing symptoms.
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More than 100 deaths have already been linked to the outbreak
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In a statement, Serge senior director of mission Joel Hylton said: “Our medical teams labour in some of the most demanding settings in the world, serving vulnerable communities who have limited access to healthcare
“We are profoundly grateful for their dedication to the people of the DRC, and we deeply lament the hardship they are enduring under this current threat.
"Our concern extends equally to our Congolese colleagues and friends in the region who face these same risks.”
More than 100 deaths have already been linked to the outbreak in the DRC, with over 390 suspected cases, according to the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.
Donald Trump said he was 'concerned' by the outbreak in the DRC and Uganda on Monday
| GETTYOn Monday, Donald Trump said he was "concerned" by the outbreak in the DRC and Uganda, though stressed he did not believe the disease was currently spreading inside the US.
The World Health Organization (WHO) formally declared the outbreak an international emergency on Sunday.
Officials said the outbreak involves the Bundibugyo virus, a strain closely related to Ebola for which no vaccine currently exists.
Four healthcare workers are among the dead, according to the WHO.
Experts have also warned the outbreak may already have been spreading undetected for more than three weeks.
The WHO said all available evidence "point towards a potentially much larger outbreak than what is currently being detected and reported".
Africa CDC director general Dr Jean Kaseya said authorities still had not identified patient zero.
"So far we don’t know the index case. It means we don’t know the magnitude of this outbreak," he said.
The virus’s highly contagious nature has heightened fears because of the region’s heavy cross-border movement and migration.
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