Trump says he’s 'concerned' about Ebola outbreak

President Donald Trump is "concerned" about the deadly Ebola outbreak overseas that has so far resulted in one American testing positive for a strain of the disease with no vaccine or treatment.

While speaking to reporters at a Monday, May 19, White House event to promote TrumpRx, the president responded to questions about a fast-growing number of Ebola infections in the Democratic Republic of Congo and neighboring countries. First identified by the World Health Organization (WHO) on May 5, the outbreak is believed to have infected hundreds so far.

“I’m concerned about everything, but certainly am," Trump said when asked if Americans should be concerned. “I think that, you know, it's been confined right now to Africa. But it's something that has had a breakout.”

Dr. Heidi Overton, deputy director of the White House Domestic Policy Council, said Monday that no Ebola cases had been confirmed in the United States. One American missionary who tested positive for the outbreak strain of Ebola, Bundibugyo virus, will be evacuated to Germany for medical care, along with six other Americans who are also considered "high risk," she said.

U.S. authorities have also implemented travel and entry restrictions for non-citizens who have recently been to Uganda, the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan.

WHO chief 'deeply concerned' by 'scale and speed' of Ebola outbreak

WHO Representative in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Dr. Anne Ancia, likewise called the situation "deeply concerning" in a statement on Tuesday, May 19.

"This species of Ebola is one for which there is no licensed vaccine or treatment, though supportive care is lifesaving," she said. "It is occurring in a highly complex epidemiological, operational and humanitarian context – marked by insecurity, population displacement, and both densely populated and remote areas." 

"I am deeply concerned about the scale and speed of the epidemic," WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus likewise told attendees of the 79th World Health Assembly, also on May 19.

Still, while the WHO designated the outbreak as a "public health emergency of international concern" – nomenclature used to describe "serious, sudden, unusual, or unexpected" health events that pose a risk internationally – it said on Sunday, May 17, that it still did not meet the criteria of a pandemic emergency.

How many Ebola cases are there?

As of May 19, more than 500 suspected cases, including 130 suspected deaths, had been reported by the Democratic Republic of the Congo Ministry of Health. A little more than 30 of those cases were confirmed, according to the WHO, which said that the true number of infections is likely higher.

Risk remains low in the U.S., according to officials.

The outbreak comes amid growing concerns from critics of the Trump administration's withdrawal from broader public health initiatives and the WHO, where it once played a key role in surveilling emerging outbreaks.

Contributing: Reuters; Eduardo Cuevas, USA TODAY