The U.S. Agency for International Development deployed a Disaster Assistance Response Team to support Ebola containment efforts in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Here are three things to know:
1. USAID identified the Ebola outbreak response as a federal priority, since the disease could spread to neighboring countries and the U.S.
2. The DART team comprises disaster and health experts from the CDC and USAID. The team will support the Congo government and its partners to help respond and contain the Ebola outbreak.
"The team will coordinate closely with the Ministry of Health of the DRC, the World Health Organization, other donors and aid groups to bring critical assistance to affected populations, and to stop the outbreak before it spreads further," USAID said in a press release.
3. When the current outbreak hit the Congo in August, USAID and HHS deployed staff to the region and have continued to provide technical assistance on Ebola surveillance. Both organizations are also working with neighboring countries to keep Ebola from crossing their borders.