US health authorities confirmed on Monday that an American has developed Ebola after being exposed during their work in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC); officials also said that they are taking “proactive measures” to protect US citizens in response to the ongoing Ebola virus epidemic in the DRC and Uganda .
Officials with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirmed the case on Monday and said the individual was being evacuated to Germany. They developed symptoms over the weekend and tested positive late Sunday, said Satish K Pillai, an incident manager for the CDC’s Ebola response in a press conference.
There are also six other people who are in the process of being evacuated, to receive treatment or monitoring, Pillai said. There are about 25 people working in the US office in DRC, and the CDC is sending another person from Atlanta, Georgia.