Monitoring Ebola Virus, 9/24/18

Columbia University is closely monitoring the current outbreak of Ebola Virus Disease in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) that was declared on August 1, 2018 by the Ministry of Public Health of the DRC. This current outbreak is located in the North Kivu and Ituri Provinces in the DRC. The Ministry of Public Health, World Health Organization (WHO), and partners are responding to this event and working to establish the full extent of this outbreak. No cases have been reported in neighboring countries to date. Highest risk of spread is to Angola, Burundi, Central African Republic (CAR), Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia; heightened surveillance and screening has been implemented in Burundi, CAR, Rwanda, South Sudan, Uganda, and Zimbabwe.

Presently, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and WHO have not issued any travel warnings or restrictions to these regions. Columbia's International SOS service has issued travel advisories for any members of the community planning to visit these areas, advising travelers to defer non-essential travel to the affected areas in North Kivu and Itari Provinces until outbreak control measures have been definitively established. They also advise that travelers:

• Continue to monitor the situation.
• Pay strict attention to hygiene.
• Do not participate in high risk activities such as funerals in outbreak areas. (Do not touch/wash dead bodies.)
• Avoid hospitals that are treating suspected Ebola cases.
• Avoid direct contact with sick people and their bodily fluids. This includes items that may have been contaminated with fluids, like bedding and clothing.
• Avoid direct contact with animals, including bats. Both dead and live animals pose a risk.
• Do not eat bats or "bush meat" from gorillas, monkeys, and other primates.
• If you should require medical attention, call International SOS to be directed to a suitable facility.
• Do not travel if you are sick. Some locations may implement screening, and travelers may face quarantine and testing.

Should you have any questions or concerns about your travel and the risks associated, please reach out to your campus health service, Morningside (212-854-7426) or CUIMC (212-305-3400), or to your personal physician.

Given the volatility of the situation, please ensure that your most up-to-date travel itinerary (including accommodation information) is entered into TravelTracker. Doing so will allow the University to communicate and assist you in the event the outbreak spreads.