Congo Ebola Cases Top 10,000 as Chicago Hospitals Prepare for Risk

WHO:

ABC7 Chicago - Dr. Brian Stein is Rush University Medical Center’s chief quality officer.

ABC7 Chicago - Dr. Michael Lin is an infectious disease specialist at Rush University Medical Center.

ABC7 Chicago - Dr. Omar Lateef is Rush University Medical Center’s CEO.

ABC7 Chicago - Rush University Medical Center and Lurie Children’s Hospital are the only Chicago centers designated to treat highly infectious diseases such as Ebola.

ABC7 Chicago - Health officials have reported Ebola cases in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Nigeria, Uganda, and France.

WHAT:

ABC News - Congo’s fast-moving Ebola outbreak has exceeded 10,000 confirmed cases; authorities are racing to slow its spread across Africa.

ABC7 Chicago - The Central African outbreak is described as the second largest in history, with nearly 10,000 cases reported since it began six months ago.

ABC7 Chicago - No Ebola cases have been reported in the United States; officials say the risk to Americans at home remains low.

ABC7 Chicago - Chicago hospitals say they are more prepared than ever to respond to a potential Ebola case.

ABC7 Chicago - Stein said Rush can convert its medical intensive care unit to negative pressure, drawing airflow into rooms rather than pushing it into hallways.

ABC7 Chicago - Lin said someone with Ebola could board a plane and arrive anywhere in the world, but widespread transmission in the United States is unlikely and the disease is not thought to have pandemic potential there.

ABC7 Chicago - Lateef said healthcare providers have gained experience that strengthened preparedness, and that COVID-19 helped health systems collaborate across communities rather than work in isolation.

ABC7 Chicago - Lateef said, “Those learned experiences from the past will help us for the future. If it's about Ebola or the next infectious disease.”

WHERE:

ABC News - The article is datelined Bunia, Congo.

ABC7 Chicago - Rush University Medical Center’s demonstrated capabilities are in its medical intensive care unit on the 10th floor.

ABC7 Chicago - O’Hare International Airport is described as a major international hub.

WHEN:

ABC7 Chicago - The outbreak began six months before the article’s publication.

WHY:

ABC7 Chicago - Rush’s specialized facilities and hospital preparations are intended for a worst-case outbreak scenario, described as a “black swan” event.

ABC7 Chicago - Lateef said U.S. hospitals strengthened infectious-disease preparedness after Ebola patients reached U.S. soil during the 2014 Ebola scare.

HOW:

ABC7 Chicago - Rush’s unit is designed to contain highly infectious pathogens through specialized infrastructure and negative-pressure airflow.

ABC7 Chicago - Lateef said lessons from the 2014 Ebola response and the COVID-19 pandemic informed preparedness and coordination among healthcare systems.

(UPDATED October 27, 2026 10:07 UTC)

Congo’s fast-moving Ebola outbreak has surpassed 10,000 confirmed cases, prompting authorities to race to contain its spread across Africa, while U.S. officials say no cases have been reported here and the risk to Americans remains low. Rush University Medical Center and Lurie Children’s Hospital are Chicago’s only centers designated to treat highly infectious diseases, and Rush says its intensive care unit can use negative-pressure airflow to help contain pathogens. Rush CEO Omar Lateef says experience responding to Ebola and COVID-19 has strengthened hospitals’ preparedness and cooperation, while infectious disease specialist Michael Lin says widespread transmission in the United States is unlikely.