Warden Messages

Consular Warden Notice
United States Embassy
Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo
September 12, 2007

On September 10, 2007 the DRC Ministry of Health reported that since early June, nearly 400 people have fallen ill with more than 100 deaths due to an outbreak of the Ebola virus in the Mweka and Kampungu health districts of the Kasai Occidental province.  DRC Ministry of Health officials, as well as officials from the World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), are monitoring this epidemic.  Symptoms include: fever, headache, diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal colic – with or without vomiting, and cough.

Americans living in or who must travel to the Kasai Occidental province should be extremely careful and intensify personal health precautions at this time to avoid contracting this illness.  Additional information may be obtained on the CDC website at: www.cdc.gov.

American citizens should monitor the Department's Internet web site at http://travel.state.gov, where the current Consular Information Sheet for the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the current Travel Warning, and other travel information can be found.  Up to date information on security can also be obtained by emailing AEKinshasaConsular@state.gov or calling 1-888-407-4747 toll free in the United States and Canada, or, for callers outside the United States and Canada, a regular toll line at 1-202-501-4444.  These numbers are available from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday (except U.S. federal holidays).