World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Wednesday pushed back against Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s claim that the agency was "a little late" in identifying an Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo, saying WHO supports national health authorities rather than replacing them.

Tedros Pushes Back On Rubio Claim

"We don't replace the countries' work, we only support them," Tedros told reporters in Geneva, according to Politico. He said Rubio's comments may reflect "lack of understanding of how [the International Health Regulations] work and [the] responsibilities of WHO and other entities."

The dispute comes as global health officials monitor an Ebola disease outbreak caused by the Bundibugyo virus in the DRC and Uganda. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the DRC confirmed the outbreak in Ituri Province on May 15, with early reports showing 246 suspected cases and 80 deaths as of May 16. WHO later said the outbreak had grown to nearly 600 suspected cases and 139 suspected deaths, Politico reported.

WHO Questions U.S. Travel Restrictions

The CDC said the risk of spread to the United States remains low, though it issued guidance to clinicians, laboratories and health departments. Reuters reported that a U.S. citizen infected with the rare Bundibugyo strain while working in Congo was evacuated to Germany for treatment and was stable.

WHO officials also pushed back against travel bans after the U.S. closed its border to non-U.S. travelers from the DRC, South Sudan and Uganda. WHO experts said countries should focus on contact tracing, isolation and traveler screening, noting that Ebola spreads through direct contact with infected blood or body fluids, not casual airborne contact.

U.S. Withdrawal Shadows Outbreak Dispute

The May outbreak is Congo's 17th Ebola outbreak in 50 years. The CDC said the country's previous outbreak ended last December.

The clash follows the Trump administration's formal withdrawal from WHO in January, citing alleged mishandling of COVID-19 and other health crises. WHO said it "regrets" the decision and defended its record, saying U.S. withdrawal makes the world less safe.

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