US Eyes Kenya for Ebola Quarantine Facility

The United States is in talks with Kenya regarding the potential establishment of a quarantine facility to house American citizens exposed to the Ebola outbreak originating in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Discussions involve U.S. Public Health Service officers staffing the proposed site, which one official indicated might be situated at an air force base in central Kenya's Laikipia region.

Kenya's health ministry confirmed discussions about cooperating on Ebola response but did not specifically mention the quarantine facility. The Kenyan government has reportedly expressed a desire for the facility to serve all nationalities, not exclusively U.S. citizens, and is seeking enhanced U.S. aid in exchange for cooperation. Britain has also been involved in these discussions.

The Ebola outbreak, involving the rare Bundibugyo strain, has been declared a public health emergency of international concern by the World Health Organization. As of the report, there have been no confirmed cases of Ebola disease in the U.S., with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention assessing the risk to the general public as low.