The United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps has confirmed the deployment of a specialized Ebola response team to Kenya to provide care, monitoring and quarantine services for American citizens returning from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) following a court suspension.
U.S. officials verified the deployment in a statement to CNN on Friday, May 29, explaining it constitutes a collaborative initiative with the U.S. State Department and the Department of Defense to ensure the safe return and monitoring of potentially exposed American citizens.
According to the statement, “The U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps is deploying a team of highly trained officers to Kenya to support the care, monitoring, and quarantine of American citizens departing the Democratic Republic of the Congo as part of a coordinated interagency effort with the State Department and Department of War.”
The announcement follows shortly after the High Court in Nairobi issued conservatory orders suspending the establishment of a U.S.-funded Ebola quarantine center in Laikipia County, which will remain in effect as legal proceedings continue on the matter.
The orders resulted from an urgent petition filed by the Katiba Institute at the Milimani Law Courts requesting to halt implementation of the facility until the case is resolved.
The court barred the government from facilitating, approving or permitting any Ebola exposure, quarantine, isolation or treatment center by the U.S. government or any foreign agency.
While the deployment indicates progress in the agreement between Kenya and the U.S., the statement does not specifically reference the facility that has sparked public anxiety regarding national health security.
U.S. officials report that the deployed team comprises physicians, nurses, laboratory technologists, mental health professionals and engineers, with some having previously participated in Ebola response operations during the 2014–2015 outbreak in Liberia.
Furthermore, all team members have received specialized training on protocols and procedures specific to the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus.
The statement explained, “Personnel have undergone specialized training in PPE, quarantine protocols, and treatment procedures related to the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola virus.”
The statement emphasized that protecting both responders and American citizens remains the mission’s foremost priority.
Meanwhile, Kenya has enhanced measures, including establishing a National Response Committee and boosting surveillance at entry points.