Reuters Health News Summary

There are no vaccines or known drugs ⁠specifically approved to treat the rare Bundibugyo strain of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo, which has infected almost 750 people and killed 177. Suspected and confirmed measles deaths top 500 ⁠in ​Bangladesh At least 86 children have died from confirmed measles infections in Bangladesh this year, and another 426 with symptoms consistent with the disease, health officials said on Saturday, as the country battles one of its worst outbreaks in decades.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

US extends Ebola travel ban to Green ​Card holders

The United States on Friday temporarily banned the entry ​of lawful permanent residents who have been in ‌the ​Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda or South Sudan in the previous 21 days, citing concerns over Ebola. U.S. citizens, nationals and green card holders had been exempt from a 30-day Ebola ban, but the U.S. CDC said ‌on Friday that extending the ban to green card holders was necessary to stop the virus from entering the country.

US adds Atlanta area airport for Ebola screening, CDC says

Americans coming back from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda or South Sudan now have a second entry point for returning to ‌the United States, with the CDC on Saturday expanding its enhanced Ebola screening to include Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. Hartsfield-Jackson has previously been used to ‌screen passengers and has established operational procedures in place, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.

Uganda confirms three new Ebola cases, bringing total to five

Uganda has confirmed three new cases of Ebola, bringing the total number of infections in the current outbreak there to five, the health ministry said on Saturday, as authorities stepped up contact tracing to ⁠contain the ​spread. The World Health Organization has declared the ⁠outbreak of the rare Bundibugyo strain a public health emergency of international concern, and said the risk of a national epidemic in the Democratic Republic of Congo is "very high".

Experimental treatments ⁠could help US Ebola patient

The U.S. missionary who tested positive for Ebola and is undergoing treatment in a German hospital has been given drugs aimed at reducing ​disease symptoms after exposure to the virus and other therapies, U.S. health officials said on Friday. There are no vaccines or known drugs ⁠specifically approved to treat the rare Bundibugyo strain of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo, which has infected almost 750 people and killed 177.

Suspected and confirmed measles deaths top 500 ⁠in ​Bangladesh

At least 86 children have died from confirmed measles infections in Bangladesh this year, and another 426 with symptoms consistent with the disease, health officials said on Saturday, as the country battles one of its worst outbreaks in decades. Cases have spread rapidly in recent months, overwhelming hospitals and placing severe ⁠strain on already fragile healthcare services, particularly in rural districts and densely populated low-income urban areas.

Red Cross mourns death of three volunteers from Ebola ⁠in Congo

The Red Cross on Saturday paid ⁠tribute to three volunteers who are believed to have died after contracting Ebola while handling bodies and are among the first known victims of the latest outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, ‌for which there is ‌no approved vaccine or treatment, was declared an emergency of international concern by ​the World Health Organization on Sunday.