FACT CHECK: Did Chicago Authorities Isolate Travelers Suspected Of Having Ebola?
A post shared on Facebook claims the city of Chicago has isolated two individuals suspected of having Ebola.
Verdict: False
This claim is baseless. There is no evidence that suggests that the United States has any cases of the virus.
Fact Check:
Approximately 109 people have been confirmed to have contracted Ebola in Uganda, along with 30 deaths, as an outbreak of the virus intensified, according to Reuters. Recently, Uganda issued a 21-day lockdown in two of the nation’s districts to curb the spread, according to Al Jazeera.
The Facebook post, garnering over 150 reactions, shows a screengrab of a Tweet from a user claiming two travelers from Uganda have been put in isolation in Chicago. The original tweet, first posted Oct. 15, has also garnered over 700 retweets.
I am an infectious disease specialist in Chicago. There was an email this week about a meeting on Monday. The city is making sure everyone knows our plan. Two people, on the seventh and on 13 October were put into isolation in Chicago under investigation from Uganda flights
— LakeviewJim (@JimLakeview) October 16, 2022
“Two people, on the seventh and on 13 October were put into isolation in Chicago under investigation from Uganda flights,” The post reads in part. (RELATED: Did The UK Ban The Covid-19 Vaccine Due To Health Concerns?)
The post is unsubstantiated. There are no credible news reports that suggest Chicago authorities detained any such passengers. Likewise, the Illinois Department of Public Health has no record of any Ebola cases at this time, though the department states the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Customs and Border Protection screen travelers from the affected countries.
Bert Kelly, a spokesperson for infectious diseases at the CDC, responded via email to Check Your Fact’s request for comment, saying, “There are no confirmed cases of Ebola in the U.S. at this time.”
The agency has also put out a press release explaining efforts to monitor persons from affected areas, as well as other efforts to stem the outbreak in Uganda.
This is not the first time false information on recent diseases has spread online. Check Your Fact recently debunked a post claiming Trudeau said he will be limiting sexual partners to avoid spreading monkeypox.