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The Trump administration expects to deploy U.S. public health officers to Kenya to staff a potential quarantine facility amid a worsening Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday that the facility will house Americans who have faced exposure, run a high risk of testing positive, or have already tested positive for the virus in the region.
The U.S. government currently awaits official approval from the Kenyan government to finalise the plan.
The planned deployment directly taps the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, a uniformed branch operating under the Department of Health and Human Services.
Several members of this corps have already received formal deployment notices.
While the White House and health officials have not yet responded to requests for comment, the decision coincides with an urgent push by the U.S. Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) asking staff to volunteer for emergency deployment to screen travellers at American entry points.
Global health authorities are racing to contain this fast-growing outbreak of the rare Bundibugyo Ebola strain, which the World Health Organisation has officially declared a public health emergency of international concern.
The virus, which spreads through direct contact with infected bodily fluids, has caused 906 suspected cases and 10 deaths in Congo, while Uganda has confirmed seven cases and one fatality.
Although the CDC reports that the risk to the American public remains low and no domestic cases exist, the administration is moving quickly to establish these offshore containment facilities.
