DR Congo Assures U.S. Its Soccer Team Will Not Bring Ebola to World Cup

Soccer authorities in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) affirmed on Wednesday that its national team and support staff will be able to abide by all public health protocols to participate in the FIFA World Cup scheduled to begin on June 11 and hosted by America, Canada, and Mexico.

Both the United States and Canada have imposed restrictions on Congolese travelers, as well as visitors from neighboring countries such as South Sudan and Uganda, in response to the ongoing Ebola outbreak in rural DRC. Ebola is a viral disease that causes fever and extensive bleeding, often leading to death. The variant of the virus currently spreading in DR Congo, Ebola Bundibugyo, is believed to have fatality rates of between 30 and 50 percent.

As of Friday, the World Health Organization (W.H.O.) has documented 906 suspected Ebola cases centered in Ituri, DRC, and 223 deaths suspected to have been caused