Health officials in the United States are working with Fifa to contain the threat of Ebola with just days to go until the World Cup.
The Democratic Republic of Congo’s national team is set to touch down in Texas on June 10.
But back at home, the outbreak has claimed at least 136 lives, with more than 540 suspected infections now recorded.
One additional fatality has been confirmed in neighbouring Uganda.
The WHO’s Dr Anne Ancia told the BBC that the more the agency investigates the outbreak, the clearer it becomes that it has spread to other areas.
Modelling by the MRC Centre for Global Infectious Disease Analysis suggested there had been “substantial” under-detection – and as many as 1,000 cases may already be out there.
The current outbreak, it said, is “larger than currently ascertained” – while its “true magnitude remains uncertain”.
Satish Pillai, incident manager for the CDC’s Ebola response, confirmed: “We’re actively working with Fifa to ensure that there is safe travelling, safe passage, and ensuring that travellers and the American public remain safe throughout.”
The World Health Organisation has designated the crisis a public health emergency of international concern.
The true size of the outbreak is still uncertain, the WHO has admitted
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And the Congolese squad has been forced to abandon plans to gather in their capital city due to health restrictions in the region.
“All players and staff members were expected to meet on Sunday, May 24 for the training camp in Kinshasa,” a team spokesman said.
“A public session was scheduled for Tuesday the 26 at Tata Stadium, and departure for Europe was planned for Wednesday, May 27 on a chartered flight.”
Players are currently outside the country following weekend club fixtures and will not return home.
“Currently, the players are outside the country after their weekend matches,” the spokesman added. “They will not be coming back and will begin their training camp in Europe later this month.”
EBOLA OUTBREAK – READ MORE:
The Congolese squad has been forced to abandon plans to gather in their capital city due to health restrictions
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The Ebola outbreak has claimed at least 136 lives in the DRC, with more than 540 suspected infections now recorded
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REUTERS
The squad is expected to reach Houston by around June 10 ahead of their opening fixture against Portugal a week larer.
The current outbreak involves the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, a rare variant which does not have a vaccine.
The strain kills between 25 and 50 per cent of those it infects.
“Unfortunately, Bundibugyo has fewer proven countermeasures than Zaire ebolavirus, where vaccines have been highly effective in controlling outbreaks,” said Amanda Rojek, Associate Professor of Health Emergencies at the University of Oxford’s Pandemic Sciences Institute.
An American doctor working in the DRC has contracted the virus, while six other US workers are believed to have been exposed.
An American doctor working in the DRC has contracted the virus and has been evacuated to Germany
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All seven are being evacuated to Germany and the Czech Republic for medical care.
The CDC has imposed a 30-day entry restriction on non-US passport holders who have visited the DRC, Uganda or South Sudan within the previous 21 days.
The WHO declared the outbreak an international emergency late on Saturday, with Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus expressing deep concern about the epidemic’s scale and speed.
The virus has spread beyond its initial location in Ituri province to South Kivu and the major city of Goma, which has a population of approximately 850,000.
Fifa said it remains in close contact with Congolese football officials and public health authorities in host nation trio the US, Mexico and Canada.
“Fifa continues to work with all three Fifa World Cup 2026 host countries’ governments, including the US Department of State, CDC and Department of Homeland Security, Mexico’s Secretariat of Health and the Public Health Agency of Canada, as well as with the World Health Organisation, to ensure a safe and secure tournament, as the health of all individuals involved remains FIFA’s priority,” a spokesman said.
