Kenya approves US Ebola quarantine request as WHO chief heads to Congo

Kenya has approved a request from the U.S. to open a quarantine facility in the East African nation for Americans exposed to Ebola, two U.S. officials told Reuters on Thursday, as the head of the World Health Organization was travelling to the epicentre of the outbreak in Democratic Republic of Congo.



Officials at Kenya's foreign and health ministries did not immediately respond to requests for comment, but one of the U.S. officials said the authorisation grants the U.S. access to land at an air force base in Laikipia in central Kenya.



Health authorities in Congo and neighbouring countries are scrambling to contain the latest outbreak of the rare Bundibugyo strain, for which there is no vaccine or treatment. However, the outbreak, which is the third largest on record, is outpacing the world's response.



The approach, which hinges on identifying and isolating potential cases to control the spread of the disease, is weeks, if not months behind the curve and the WHO has declared a public health emergency of international concern.