A patient who recently traveled to the US from Africa has been quarantined in the hospital with a flu-like illness – amid fears that a new pathogen could spread globally.
The person is being treated at University Hospitals St. John Medical Center outside Cleveland, Ohio.
They had recently arrived at Hopkins International Airport from Tanzania, which borders the Democratic Republic of Congo — where a mysterious disease outbreak has killed dozens of people.
It is not clear what they have been infected with, but the hospital is likely to conduct a series of tests to determine the cause of the disease.
The case comes as fears grow over an outbreak in Congo that has infected at least 376 people and killed up to 143.
Patients are reported to suffer from a flu-like illness, with symptoms including fever, headache, runny nose, cough, breathing difficulties and anemia, or a lack of healthy red blood cells.
Health Minister Roger Kamba told reporters yesterday that his country was on “maximum alert” over the outbreak, adding that the disease appeared to be “respiratory”.
The outbreak was first recorded on October 24 in Kwango, a rural province in the southwestern part of the country.
The above shows UH St. John Medical Center outside Cleveland, Ohio, where the patient – who recently arrived from Tanzania – was treated
A UH spokesperson revealed the case last night, telling local reporters, “Early this morning, a patient who had recently arrived at Cleveland’s Hopkins International Airport from Tanzania was transferred via North Olmsted EMS to the UH St. John Medical Emergency Department Center. flu-like symptoms.
“UH staff have taken appropriate safety measures while their conditions are evaluated.”
They added, “The patient is currently in isolation and their condition has been reported to the Ohio Department of Health.
“Patients and staff are using proper masking and isolation protocols and taking appropriate reporting steps to protect our patients, staff and the hospital.”
No further details have been released about the individual, including when they arrived in the US, what their symptoms were and whether they had recently visited the DRC.
DailyMail.com has contacted the Ohio Department of Health and the CDC for comment.
About 27,000 people travel through Hopkins International Airport every day, which has more than 120 departures daily.
There are no direct flights from Tanzania to the US, meaning travelers must take connecting flights in cities like Paris, France and Doha, Qatar.
Passengers traveling between Tanzania and Ohio will likely have to transfer at least twice before arriving at their destination.
The above shows Congolese and World Health Organization officials during an Ebola virus training exercise conducted in August 2018 in North Kivu Province, DRC.
Tanzania and the DRC share a 300-mile border across Lake Tanganyika.
The nearest point in Tanzania is about 1,300 kilometers from DRC’s Kwango province, where the mysterious outbreak is reported.
It came after Hong Kong yesterday became the first territory to introduce health checks for arrivals from the DRC and Africa, following measures put in place to limit the spread of Covid.
In an update yesterday, the CDC said it was “standing ready” amid a mysterious outbreak in the DRC.
A source told DailyMail.com that they were “aware” of the outbreak, were in contact with health officials there and were “ready to provide additional support if necessary.”
The World Health Organization has sent a team to the southwestern province where the outbreak is reported to take samples and test for the disease.
According to local officials, it took the team at least two days to arrive in the province, and samples must be sent more than 300 miles for testing.