In a new statement issued to CNN, US authorities said the mission is being coordinated through an interagency effort involving the US Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, the State Department, and the Department of War.
According to the statement, the deployed team consists of highly trained officers with expertise in epidemic response and emergency medical operations.
The group includes physicians, nurses, laboratory technologists, mental health professionals, and engineers tasked with supporting quarantine and health monitoring operations in Kenya.
“The U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps is deploying a team of highly trained officers to Kenya to support the care, monitoring, and quarantine of American citizens departing the Democratic Republic of the Congo as part of a coordinated interagency effort with the State Department and Department of War,” the statement said.
US authorities further disclosed that several members of the team have prior experience handling Ebola outbreaks, including participation in response efforts during the 2014-2015 Ebola crisis in Liberia.
The personnel, according to the statement, have undergone specialized training in the use of personal protective equipment (PPE), quarantine procedures, and treatment protocols associated with the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus.
“The deployed team includes physicians, nurses, laboratory technologists, mental health professionals, and engineers – including officers with previous Ebola response experience in Liberia during the 2014-2015 outbreak,” the statement added.
The move comes amid heightened regional concern following reported Ebola cases in parts of the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda, prompting governments and international agencies to strengthen preparedness and surveillance measures.
Kenya has in recent days intensified its own Ebola preparedness strategy, including the formation of a National Response Committee aimed at coordinating public awareness, emergency readiness, and inter-agency response planning.
US officials emphasized that safety remains a key priority in the operation, noting that strict safeguards and clinical protocols have been put in place to protect both responders and American citizens involved in the mission.
“Protecting responders and American citizens remains our top priority, and HHS is confident in the safeguards, clinical protocols, and operational planning supporting this mission,” the statement said.