The Trump administration is already holding Europe responsible for any possible outbreak of Ebola during the World Cup

Informed sources revealed to Axios that the administration of US President Donald Trump is exerting intense pressure on European countries to push them towards a radical change in their strategy for combating the outbreak of the Ebola virus. These moves come amid growing American concerns that international travel accompanying the World Cup, hosted by North America, will accelerate the spread of the virus.

Washington rejects the “World Health” plan

A senior American official said that Trump’s senior aides are expressing their dissatisfaction with what they describe as the “limited restrictions” imposed by Europe on travel. Washington calls on European capitals to abandon the World Health Organization’s Ebola protocol and adopt the more stringent measures applied by the United States.

These pressures carry an implicit message that any potential outbreak of the Ebola virus on American soil would be Europe’s fault.

Intense diplomatic movements

As part of these endeavors, the US State Department last week sent an exceptional request to European countries, calling on them to impose severe restrictions on travel coming from the Central African region, the epicenter of the current outbreak.

In a statement to Axios, a US State Department official said: “European countries must do their part to ensure that this epidemic does not spread further. Taking immediate action is imperative now.”

These developments coincide with the start of the World Cup next Thursday, which will continue until July 19, and will witness a record participation of 48 teams playing 104 matches. The United States will host its events in 11 out of 16 cities, while the rest of the matches are divided between Canada and Mexico.

The US State Department estimates that the tournament will attract between 5 to 7 million international visitors to the United States, including players, technical crews, and fans coming from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the main center of the virus outbreak.

A dangerous strain without a vaccine

According to the latest medical reports, the outbreak of the “Bundibugyo” strain (BundibugyoThe outbreak of the Ebola virus in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda has infected more than 500 people and killed more than 90 others.

The World Health Organization declared this outbreak a global health emergency on May 17. The danger of the “Bundibugyo” strain, unlike the more common “Zaire” strain, lies in the lack of any licensed vaccine or approved treatment for it yet.

Disagreement with the World Health Organization

President Trump is known for his constant criticism of the World Health Organization, which was embodied in his decision to withdraw the United States from it on the first day of his second term, based on what he described as the organization’s failures and lack of transparency during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Today, the White House, which boycotted the United Nations, appears ready to directly accuse it and Europe of failing to control the Ebola outbreak. The US administration’s concerns are focused on three main axes, according to the senior official:

• Accusing the organization of negligence, by claiming that the World Health Organization failed to promptly report the outbreak, and misled the world by not urging countries to impose travel bans and close borders.
• A sharp rebuke of the European Union for following World Health Organization guidelines, and for its resistance to imposing travel restrictions and strict screening procedures at airports for travelers coming from affected countries.
• Calling on the European Union to follow the example of Canada and Mexico by imposing restrictions similar to American restrictions on non-essential travel from affected countries.

Strict procedures and isolation of the teams

The US authorities have already begun monitoring travelers coming from African countries, including those whose trips include a temporary stop (transit) in Europe, and have prevented the entry of some of them. Last May, an Air France flight heading from Paris to Detroit was diverted to land in Montreal, Canada, after US authorities discovered that a passenger from the Democratic Republic of the Congo was on board.

In contrast, the Democratic Republic of the Congo national football team was allowed to enter the United States, but on the condition that it undergo a strict, American-imposed health isolation for a period of 21 days in the Belgium “isolation bubble.” The delegation is scheduled to arrive in Houston on June 11, in preparation for their country’s first participation in the World Cup in more than half a century.

European position

On the other hand, Europe rejects these American accusations completely. European and World Health Organization officials argue that screening, testing and contact tracing mechanisms are more effective than attempts at blanket border closures demanded by Washington.

European officials confirmed that no confirmed cases of Ebola infection had been recorded in European Union countries linked to the current outbreak, noting that the risks to the public were “very low.”

WHO officials also denied accusations of being slow in declaring a state of emergency, stressing that after reports of rising deaths emerged on May 5, laboratories did not confirm the presence of the “Bundebugyo” strain until May 15, sending the global warning immediately after that.

The organization explained that the transmission dynamics of the Ebola virus are fundamentally different from Covid-19. Since Ebola is not transmitted via the respiratory tract and requires direct contact with the bodily fluids of a symptomatic patient, the likelihood of it spreading at mass gatherings — such as the World Cup — remains very small.