(GENEVA) — The World Health Organization said on Thursday that the risk of Ebola transmission in Europe and World Cup host countries is low as the tournament gets ready to kick off across the U.S., Canada and Mexico.
Dr Hans Henri P. Kluge, WHO’s regional director for Europe, said in a statement that there are currently no Ebola cases in North America or Europe amid an outbreak spreading in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The DRC has recorded 676 confirmed cases as of Thursday morning, according to DRC’s minister of health. In Uganda, there are 19 confirmed cases — many of them travel-related — and two deaths, the country’s health officials said.
Kluge made reference to an Ebola patient who was treated in the European Region after being evacuated from the outbreak region.
An American physician, Dr. Peter Stafford, tested positive for Ebola after being exposed while treating patients at Nyankunde Hospital. Stafford, a medical missionary with the mission organization Serge, was transferred to Germany and treated at Berlin’s Charite University Hospital.
His wife, Dr. Rebekah Stafford, and their four children were also transferred to the same hospital, where they were monitored in quarantine for 21 days as high-risk contacts.
Last week, the family was released from the hospital after Dr. Peter Stafford had no symptoms for more than 72 hours and a negative result in repeated PCR tests, Serge said.
“There is no reason to change your plans. Travel as normal, stay informed and enjoy the tournament,” Kluge said.
Kluge said there are several reasons why the risk is low in other countries: most cases are in remote areas of the DRC, Ebola is not an airborne illness and it is spread through direct contact with the bodily fluids of a sick person.
Additionally, screening is in place before travel is allowed from affected regions and people are only infectious once visibly ill, according to Kluge.
The CDC has temporarily restricted entry to the U.S. for certain travelers who were recently in the DRC, Uganda or South Sudan. Currently, U.S. citizens and nationals may still enter but will undergo enhanced public health screenings.
Kludge said the WHO does not recommend travel restrictions, “though if you don’t have to travel to the affected areas in the Democratic Republic of the Congo or Uganda, it is safer not to.”
He added that it’s important to challenge the stigma associated with Ebola patients and those from affected regions or African communities.
“The spread of Ebola is not determined by nationality or ethnicity,” he said. “Stigma discourages people from seeking care and can make outbreaks harder to control. Stay informed, rely on trusted sources and treat others with understanding. With common sense and compassion, we can keep both people and the game safe.”
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