Even as the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo appears poised to become the largest on record, Trump administration officials have not articulated a clear plan for caring for Americans at risk of the disease.

Hundreds of Americans, including federal officials, aid workers and journalists, are expected to be in parts of Congo, where the disease is rampant, in the coming months. Officials from previous administrations say that there is a clear playbook for when such people are exposed to Ebola or become ill: Bring them home to one of the 13 facilities in the United States built for exactly these circumstances.

The United States does not have the authority to quarantine Americans elsewhere in the world, and cannot prevent them from re-entering the country.

But last week, Secretary of State Marco ​Rubio declared that the administration “cannot and will not allow any cases of Ebola to enter the United States.”

The Trump administration has already shipped one American physician sickened with Ebola to a hospital in Germany, and six others with possible exposure to the virus to Germany and the Czech Republic for monitoring. Public health experts closely observing the situation said they were unaware of any other Americans with risky exposures.

The administration announced plans to build a 50-bed quarantine unit in Kenya for others who may become exposed or ill. But the fate of the unit is now uncertain. On Tuesday, a Kenyan court delayed efforts to build it by at least three weeks, and the plan for Americans who may need help in the meantime is unclear.